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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #219287
Title: Comparative Sulfur Analysis Using Thermal Combustion or Inductively Coupled Plasma Methodology and Mineral Composition of Common Livestock Feedstuffs

Author
item Kerr, Brian
item Ziemer, Cherie
item Weber, Thomas
item Trabue, Steven - Steve
item Bearson, Bradley - Brad
item SHURSON, G - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item WHITNEY, M - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/2008
Publication Date: 9/1/2008
Citation: Kerr, B.J., Ziemer, C.J., Weber, T.E., Trabue, S.L., Bearson, B.L., Shurson, G.C., Whitney, M.H. 2008. Comparative Sulfur Analysis Using Thermal Combustion or Inductively Coupled Plasma Methodology and Mineral Composition of Common Livestock Feedstuffs. Journal of Animal Science. 86(9):2377-2384.

Interpretive Summary: At high concentrations, dietary sulfur has been linked to chronic intestinal diesease, increased piglet diarrhea, and increased odor emissions from livestock production facilities. Data presented show a wide range of sulfur concentrations between ingredients commonly used in livestock feed formulation as well as large variability within many specific feedstuffs. Knowing the level and variation in sulfur concentration of feedstuffs provides scientists at universities, feed companies, and swine production knowledge on methods to reduce suflur intake in an effort to optimize intestinal health, reduce diarrhea, and reduce sulfur containing odor emissions from livestock production facilities.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to compare the ability of thermal combustion (CNS) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to measure the total sulfur (S) content in plant-, animal-, and mineral-based feedstuffs commonly fed to livestock. Analyses of a wide range of feedstuffs by CNS and ICP for total S were comparable for all but a few feedstuffs. For potassium iodide and tribasic copper chloride, ICP estimated total S to be lower than that analyzed by CNS. In contrast, for defluorinated phosphate and limestone, ICP estimated total S to be higher than that analyzed by CNS. All other samples had similar estimates of total S, whether analyzed by CNS or ICP. As expected, between feedstuffs, S composition varied greatly. For total S, plant-based feedstuffs generally had lower total S compared to animal-based feedstuffs, with minerals supplied in sulfate form having the highest level of total S. In addition to total S, additional mineral compositions are provided for all feedstuffs as obtained by ICP analysis. Within specific feedstuffs, variation of mineral composition could be quite variable, potentially due to low concentrations in the feedstuffs causing high mathematical variation or due to source of feedstock obtained. This data provide researchers and nutritionists relative concentrations and variation of mineral composition of feedstuffs commonly used in the livestock diets.