Combination of the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio and light stable isotopic values (δ(13)C, δ(15)N and δD) for identifying the geographical origin of winter wheat in China.

This study aims to investigate whether isotopic signatures can be used to develop reliable fingerprints for discriminating the geographical origin of Chinese winter wheat, and to evaluate the discrimination effects of δ(13)C, δ(15)N and δD, alone or with (87)Sr/(86)Sr. In this study, the values of δ(13)C, δ(15)N and δD, and the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios of wheat and provenance soils from three regions were determined. Significant differences were found in all parameters of wheat and (87)Sr/(86)Sr in soil extract (reflecting the bioavailable fraction of soil) among different regions. A significantly positive correlation was observed between the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios of wheat and soil extracts. An overall correct classification rate of 77.8% was obtained for discriminating wheat from three regions based on light stable isotopes (δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and δD). The correct classification rate of 98.1% could be obtained with the combination of the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio and the light stable isotopic values.