Influence of sulfur fertility on wheat yield performance on alluvial and upland soils

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2008

Abstract

In recent years, sulfur (S) deficiencies in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have become more common, particularly on coarse-textured soils. In Study I, field experiments were conducted in 2001/2002 through 2003/2004 on Mississippi River alluvial soils (Experiment I) and an upland, loessial silt loam (Experiment II) to evaluate the influence of spring S rates of 0, 5.6, 11.2, and 22.4 kg ha-1 and a fall rate of 22.4 kg sulfate (SO4)-S ha-1 on grain yield of three varieties. In Study II, field experiments were conducted in 2001/2002 and 2004/2005 on alluvial soils to evaluate the influence of spring S rates of 0, 5.6, 11.2, and 22.4 kg SO4-S ha-1 in fields where S-deficiency symptoms were present. Grain yield response to applied S occurred only on alluvial, coarse-textured, very fine sandy loam soils (Study II) that had soil SO4-S levels less than the critical level of 8 mg kg-1 and organic-matter contents less than 1 g kg-1 in the 0- to 15-, 15- to 30-, and 30- to 45-cm depths. Soil pH increased with soil depth. Optimum S rate was 11.2 kg SO4-S ha-1 in 2001/2002 and 5.6 kg SO4-S ha-1 in 2004/2005. On the upland, loessial silt loam soil, soil SO4-S levels accumulated with depth, whereas organic-matter content and pH decreased. In the loessial soils, average soil SO4-S levels in the 15- to 30- and 30- to 45-cm soil depths were 370% greater than SO4-S in the surface horizon (0 to 15 cm). Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

First Page

2133

Last Page

2145

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