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Sulfur Fertilization of Winter Wheat Grown on Deep Sandy Soils
Author(s) -
Oates Kenneth M.,
Kamprath E. J.
Publication year - 1985
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/sssaj1985.03615995004900040027x
Subject(s) - human fertilization , soil water , agronomy , tillage , sulfur , soil horizon , ammonium sulfate , environmental science , chemistry , soil science , biology , organic chemistry , chromatography
Surface horizons of sandy Coastal Plain soils of the southeastern United States are low in available SO −2 4 , and crops are often dependent upon adsorbed SO −2 4 in the B horizon. The objective of this study was to determine the response of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) to sulfur (S) fertilization on three soils which varied in depth to the B horizon; a Wagram soil (Arenic Paleudults) > 50 cm to the B, and two Norfolk soils (Typic Paleudults) 31 and 48 cm to the B. Sulfur rates covered the range from 0 to 90 kg S ha −1 . Sources used were CaSO 4 · 2H 2 O, elemental S plus bentonite (Sol‐U‐Sul) and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . Measurements were made of S concentration and N/S ratio of plants, root distribution with depth at spike emergence and grain yield at harvest. Yield response to S fertilization was obtained on the Wagram soil and the Norfolk soil in which root growth was restricted by a tillage pan but not on the Norfolk soil with the B horizon at 31 cm. A rate of 20 kg S ha −1 as SO 2− 4 applied in late February was adequate for optimum response. Sol‐U‐Sul applied in February was not effective. Ammonium sulfate was equally effective as CaSO 4 . Plants responded to S fertilization where nonfertilized plants had S concentrations of 0.6 g kg −1 dry weight and N/S ratios of 21. Response of wheat to S fertilization depended upon the depth to the B horizon and root distribution in the soil profile. No response to S fertilization was obtained on a Norfolk soil in which there was appreciable root growth in the 30‐ to 45‐cm depth. That depth contained an accumulation of SO 2− 4 . Where root growth was essentially restricted to the top 30 cm of a Norfolk soil in which SO 2‐ 4 accumulation started at the 45‐cm depth there was a large response to S fertilization.