Mineral composition of corn and soybean meal

Abstract

Levels of several nutritionally significant minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, and Na) were determined in 16 samples of yellow corn and 16 samples of soybean meal from the 2009 US harvest. Phosphorus content was of particular interest in view of the widespread use of the enzyme phytase and the increased cost of organic P. An effort was made to ensure a geographic diversity in the origin of these samples. However, no attempt was made to identify the exact area where the respective crops had been cultivated. Phosphorus content of yellow corn averaged 0.23%, which was slightly lower than listed by the NRC but in agreement with other recent studies. The P content of soybean meal (0.67%) was slightly higher than that reported by the NRC. © 2010 Poultry Science Association, Inc.