The mineral content of vegetables grown with organic and mineral fertilizers was investigated in order to determine the nutritional superiority or non-superiority of organically raised foods. Duplicate samples of split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, blackeye peas and tomatoes of each treatment were wet washed with concentrated nitric and perchloric acid. Concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Na, K, Ca and Mg were determined using the Perkin-Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Unequal variation between treatments rendered the F test meaningless for many minerals. Where differences were found, they were in favor of chemically fertilized vegetables as often as in favor of those fertilized organically. It was concluded that methods of fertilization will not differently affect nutrient content of a crop and that organically grown foods are not worth the extra cost to the consumer in terms of nutritional quality.

Master of Science