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Total Sulfur and Sulfate Sulfur Content in Subterranean Clover as Related to Sulfur Responses
Author(s) -
Jones Milton B.
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1962.03615995002600050022x
Subject(s) - sulfur , soil water , greenhouse , phosphorus , agronomy , trifolium subterraneum , nutrient , yield (engineering) , chemistry , horticulture , biology , ecology , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy , pasture
Subclover was grown on sulfur deficient soil in the greenhouse and in the field with various rates of S applied. Plants were harvested in the greenhouse when the first, third, and fifth flower per stem appeared, and the plant material was separated into leaflets, petioles and stems. The total S and SO 4 ‐S concentrations in the plant did not change significantly over the three stages of growth. The first 20 pounds per acre increased yield and the organic‐S concentration, but did not change the SO 4 ‐S concentration in the plant. Rates of S > 20 pounds per acre did not increase the yield, but increased the SO‐ 4 S more than the organic S fraction in the plant. More SO 4 ‐S accumulated in the stems than in the petioles or leaflets at high rates of applied S, but at low levels of S there was little difference between the SO 4 ‐S concentration of the three plant parts. There was more organic‐S in the leaflets than the other plant parts at all levels of applied S. The SO 4 ‐S concentration was determined in whole subclover tops grown in the greenhouse on 13 soils fertilized with sulfur and phosphorus. Eight of the soils produced clover with SO 4 ‐S concentrations of 170 ppm. or less when unfertilized and each of these soils produced more clover when sulfur was applied if adequate phosphorus was available. The SO 4 ‐S concentration in whole subclover plants showed the same relation to yield in the field as in the greenhouse. The SO 4 ‐S concentration in subclover identified plants deficient in S, but did not indicate the degree of S deficiency.