Mineral Composition of Cottonseed is Affected by Fertilization Management Practices

Published in Agron. J. 105:341–350 (2013) doi:10.2134/agronj2012.0351 Copyright © 2013 by the American Society of Agronomy, 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. C is an essential source of natural fi ber. For every 100 kg of lint fi ber ginned from cotton, 150 kg of cottonseed is produced (Yu et al., 2012). Whole cottonseed and its products can be used as human food, animal feed, and industrial raw materials. For example, cottonseed oil is used as edible oil in food processing and restaurants (O’Brien and Wakelyn, 2005), and has the potential to be used as biofuel (Meneghetti et al., 2007). Whole seed and cottonseed meal are valuable dairy feedstuff (Arieli, 1998; Bertrand et al., 2005). Although not widely used, cottonseed meal can be used as an adhesive for wood-gluing applications (Hogan and Arthur, 1951; Lambuth, 2003). Th e chemical composition is an important parameter in evaluating cottonseed quality for diff erent applications. Genetic, environmental, and agronomic approaches have been used to alter cottonseed composition (Cherry et al., 1978). Cottonseed oil and protein contents can vary from 17 to 27% and 12 to 32%, respectively, among genetic variations (Dowd et al., 2010; Kohel et al., 1985; Yu et al., 2012). Elmore et al. (1979) found that N fertilization increased N levels in cottonseed with altered amino acid concentration. Pettigrew and Dowd (2011) reported that varying planting dates or irrigation regimes altered cottonseed composition in terms of protein, oil, gossypol, and soluble carbohydrates. Poultry litter (a mixture of manure and other external materials, such as bedding materials) is a byproduct of the poultry industry and contains valuable plant nutrients. Managed appropriately, land application of PL as a fertilizer is an effi cient and environmentally-acceptable method of recycling nutrients and organic matter. Long-term application (up to 20 yr) of PL into pasture soil continuously increased the hay yield in the Sand Mountain region of Alabama (He et al., 2008). Similarly, fertilizing cotton plant with PL oft en results in a yield increase (Endale et al., 2002; Reddy et al., 2007; Tewolde et al., 2009a). However, the information on the eff ect of PL application on mineral composition of plants is very limited even though PL contains many mineral elements (Schroder et al., 2011). Citak and Sonmez (2010) evaluated the eff ects of the types of fertilizers (farmyard manure, chicken manure, blood meal, and chemical fertilizer) on nutrient content of the edible part of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) plants during two consecutive seasons. Th ey found that the mineral contents of cabbage receiving organic applications tended to be higher than cabbage receiving chemical fertilizers, and on the whole, cabbage responded the best to farmyard and chicken manure as a mixture or separately. Demir et al. (2010) measured 17 elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, Cl, Si, Br, Rb, Sr, and Ba) in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) leaves and fruits grown in soil fertilized with poultry manure. Th ese researchers concluded that the increased fruit yield, the increased concentration of ABSTRACT