Kentucky State University
Chicken Manure Increased Concentration of Two Organic Sulfur Compounds in Field-Grown Onions
Institution
Kentucky State University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
George Antonious
Abstract
There is growing interest in optimizing crop production to produce fresh or processed products with defined flavor and health characteristics. Onions are valued as food and medicine primarily for the flavor and medicinal properties of their sulfur compounds. A field study was conducted on 12 plots. The soil in three plots was mixed with sewage sludge, three plots were mixed with yard waste compost, three plots were mixed with chicken manure each at 15 t/acre, and three unamended plots that never received soil amendments were used for comparison purposes. Plots were planted with onion, Allium cepa L. var. Super Star-F1 as the test plant. The objectives of this investigation were to: 1) develop and validate a method for quantification of organic sulfur compounds, and 2) investigate the effect of soil amendments on the concentration of dipropyl disulfide and dipropyl trisulfide in onion bulbs. Gas chromatographic/ mass spetrometric (GC/MS) analysis of onion extracts prepared in chloroform revealed the presence of two major fragment ions that correspond to dipropyl disulfide and -trisulfide. Concentration of these two organic sulfur compounds was greatest (1.5 and 0.8 mg/ 100 g onion, respectively) in plants grown in chicken manure and lowest (0.4 and 0.07 mg/ 100 g onion, respectively) in onion plants grown in yard waste compost treatments. Chicken manure is among the most commonly used soil amendments in the U.S. Because of the rapid growth in the poultry industry, significant chicken manure generation will become available in increasing quantities. Chicken manure can be explored in growing onions with health-promoting properties.
Chicken Manure Increased Concentration of Two Organic Sulfur Compounds in Field-Grown Onions
There is growing interest in optimizing crop production to produce fresh or processed products with defined flavor and health characteristics. Onions are valued as food and medicine primarily for the flavor and medicinal properties of their sulfur compounds. A field study was conducted on 12 plots. The soil in three plots was mixed with sewage sludge, three plots were mixed with yard waste compost, three plots were mixed with chicken manure each at 15 t/acre, and three unamended plots that never received soil amendments were used for comparison purposes. Plots were planted with onion, Allium cepa L. var. Super Star-F1 as the test plant. The objectives of this investigation were to: 1) develop and validate a method for quantification of organic sulfur compounds, and 2) investigate the effect of soil amendments on the concentration of dipropyl disulfide and dipropyl trisulfide in onion bulbs. Gas chromatographic/ mass spetrometric (GC/MS) analysis of onion extracts prepared in chloroform revealed the presence of two major fragment ions that correspond to dipropyl disulfide and -trisulfide. Concentration of these two organic sulfur compounds was greatest (1.5 and 0.8 mg/ 100 g onion, respectively) in plants grown in chicken manure and lowest (0.4 and 0.07 mg/ 100 g onion, respectively) in onion plants grown in yard waste compost treatments. Chicken manure is among the most commonly used soil amendments in the U.S. Because of the rapid growth in the poultry industry, significant chicken manure generation will become available in increasing quantities. Chicken manure can be explored in growing onions with health-promoting properties.