The sulphur and chlorine contents of grass and maize silage

Abstract

In seven defined samples of grass and in six samples of maize silage the contents of sulphur and chlorine were determined by two analytical procedures: both elements with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), sulphur separately with inductively coupled plasma – atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and chlorine according to Volhard (Skoog and West, 1963; Official Journal of the EC, No.L. 155/13, 12/07/71). The average contents of sulphur in grass silage, g kg–1 DM, were 2.53 g and 1.91 g, in maize 0.87 g and 0.75 g by XRF and ICP-AES, respectively. The differences in the content of sulphur between the two methods were statistically significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). The average contents of chlorine in grass silage, g kg–1 DM, were 7.69 g and 9.09 g, and in maize 2.00 g and 2.55 g by XRF and Volhard, respectively. The differences between the two methods were statistically significant (P < 0.01).

Keywords

• feed
• grass silage
• maize silage
• sulphur
• chlorine
• animal nutrition
• analytical chemistry
• x-ray fluorescence spectrometry
• atomic emission spectrometry
• titration