Nutrient composition of Queensland molasses

Abstract

Molasses samples were obtained from all (30) sugar mills in Queensland on three occasions during the 1975 crushing season. Queensland molasses, on a dry matter basis, contained an average of 65.3 per cent total sugars, 0.90 per cent N, 0.07 per cent P, 1.15 per cent Ca, 0.61 per cent Mg, 0.10 per cent Na, 5.19 per cent K, 2.98 per cent Cl, 0.73 per cent S, 10.7 p.p.m. Cu, 11.6 p.p.m. Zn, 247 p.p.m. Fe, 82 p.p.m. Mn and 2.7 p.p.m. Co. It had 13.6 per cent ash and 76.4 per cent dry matter. As a major dietary component for cattle this molasses is grossly deficient in N, P and Zn. Copper is adequate to marginal, and Na marginal to deficient. Concentrations of other minerals exceeded nutritional requirements for growth and lactation. With the exception of dry matter, sucrose, Ca and Cu concentrations, there were significant (P < 0.05) differences between the four major sugar producing regions in all other components. Noteworthy were the significantly (P < 0.05) lower concentrations of Na in northern molasses and significantly (P < 0.05) higher concentrations of S in Burdekin and southern molasses,