Open AccessContribution of Elemental Sulfur to Soil Acidification, Iron Release and Uptake by Corn (Zea mays L.)
Author(s) -
Mehdi Karimi,
Aminuddin Hussein,
Mohd Khanif Yusop,
Radziah Othman
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of botanical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2630-5054
DOI - 10.30564/jrb.v1i1.430
Subject(s) - sulfur , zea mays , chemistry , solubility , agronomy , soil ph , soil acidification , environmental chemistry , soil water , environmental science , soil science , biology , organic chemistry
—A glasshouse experiment was conducted to elucidate the effectiveness of elemental sulfur as a soil acidulates on solubility of soil Fe and it’s uptake by corn (Zea mays L.). Four rates of elemental sulfur, 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 g S kg-1 soil, incubated for 0, 20 and 40 days before corn plantation. The result showed that with one unit increase in S application rate the soil pH decreased about 1.52 units and the solubility of the Fe was significantly increased. The concentration of Fe in corn leaves and stem were increased with soil acidification from the background of 7.03 to 5.42 due to elemental sulfur application rate of 1 g S kg-1 soil. However, further soil acidification decreased Fe concentration in corn. Overall, application of elemental sulfur at a rate of 0.5 g S kg-1 soil is recommended to enhance corn performance by 45 percent without the risk of Fe toxicity for corn and the minimum Fe export to groundwater.