Abstract

Polymer entrainment combined with solvent elution or thermal desorption, steam distillation and solvent surface extractions has been applied to leaves from Dasineura tetensi-resistant and -susceptible black currant cultivars. Irrespective of the methods used, the predominant compounds detected were terpene hydrocarbons, but only minor quantitative differences were found in the relative concentrations of the individual mono- and sesquiterpenes identified. Both steam distillation and thermal desorption resulted in the formation of a number of artefacts, whilst the use of polymer entrainment revealed the presence of a number of compounds, including a homoterpene not detected by either steam distillation or leaf surface solvent extraction. The relative merits of the various methods used are discussed in relation to their potential value for the identification and quantification of leaf surface volatiles.