An attempt to analyze the bark disease in Havea brasiliensis using X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy.

The X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) technique has been used to determine the chemical change of elements induced by bark diseases in Havea brasiliensis (rubber latex tree). The results show the good sensitivity of in situ XANES for characterizing the chemical structure of phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and calcium in healthy and diseased Havea brasiliensis. Important information for understanding the bark disease involved in the sulfur metabolism of plants was also obtained from XANES.