Influence of six successive annual applications of sulphur fertilizers on wheat in a wheat–canola rotation on a sulphur deficient soil

Abstract

. 2009. Influence of six successive annual applications of sulphur fertilizers on wheat in a wheat Á canola rotation on a sulphur-deficient soil. Can. J. Plant Sci. 89: 629Á644. A 9-yr (1999Á2007) field experiment was conducted on a S-deficient Gray Luvisol (Typic Cryoboralf) loam soil at Porcupine Plain in northeastern Saskatchewan. The objective was to compare the influence of six successive annual applications (1999Á2004) and the following residual effects for 3 yr (2005Á2007) of elemental S and sulphate-S fertilizers on yield, seed protein and total S concentration, and S uptake of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a wheatÁcanola rotation. Treatments used were combinations of two application times (preceding autumn and before seeding in spring) with two granular elemental S fertilizers (ES-90 and ES-95), one fertilizer containing both elemental S and sulphate-S (Agrium Plus), ammonium sulphate, and a zero-S control. The S fertilizers were applied annually at a rate of 15 kg S ha (1 . From 1999 to 2004, seed yield (3 yr) and straw yield (4 yr), seed protein concentration (3 yr), total S concentration in seed (4 yr), and S uptake in seed (5 yr) and straw (5 yr) of wheat showed significant response to S fertilization. In the first year (1999), ammonium sulphate and Agrium Plus were more effective than ES-90 and ES-95. In the following years (2000Á2004), there was no significant effect of S source on seed and straw yield. Sulphate-S containing fertilizers produced greater total S concentration in seed and S uptake in straw (3 yr) and for S uptake in seed (1 yr). There was no effect of timing of S application on seed yield and protein concentration in any year, but autumn application was superior to spring application for straw yield and S uptake (1 yr), and for seed total S concentration and S uptake (2 yr). Residual effects of six previous S applications showed improvement in wheat seed yield until 2006, and straw yield and total S uptake until 2007. Elemental S, especially when applied in autumn, tended to have more lasting residual effects than the other S fertilizer treatments. There was some build-up of residual sulphate-S in soil in almost all S fertilizer treatments after four successive applications, but this was generally higher with sulphate-S-containing fertilizers. Recovery of applied S from 1999 to 2004 in plants was usually higher with sulphate-S fertilizer than with elemental S fertilizer in most years. Recovery of applied S in soil was higher for sulphate-S fertilizers, followed by ES-90, and finally ES-95. Residual nitrate-N in soil was significantly lower in spring-applied ammonium sulphate treatment than the zero-S or other S treatments.Key words: Elemental S, fertilizer, protein concentration, S uptake, sulphate-S, wheat, yield Malhi, S. S., Schoenau, J. J. et Vera, C. L. 2009. Incidence de six applications annuelles successives d'engrais soufre´sur le bled ans un assolement ble´-canola sur un sol carence´en soufre. Can. J. Plant Sci. 89: 629Á644. Les auteurs ont proce´de´a`une expe´rience de n...

Sulphur application does not improve wheat yield and protein concentration

“…1). Malhi et al (2009) showed no benefit of S fertilizer to yield, which, along with our study, implies that the effect of S fertilizer is questionably beneficial. It is possible that the small S fertilizer effect across sites was due to undetected site by S fertilizer interactions; also, that S requirements for CWRS and durum wheat in western Canadian soils are low, or that the applied rate of 25 kg SO 4 -S ha (1 was not sufficient to correct S deficiency, or criteria based on SO 4 -S levels are inadequate.…”

“…Prairie soils normally contain sufficient S to optimize wheat production (Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development 2006). Malhi et al (2009) conducted a long-term field experiment on a S-deficient Gray Luvisolic loam soil in northeastern Saskatchewan. These researchers found no effect of timing of S application on seed yield and protein concentration in any year, except that autumn application was superior to spring application for straw yield and S uptake in the first year of the experiment, and for seed total S concentration and S uptake in the second year.…”

Agronomic Strategies to Improve N Efficiency Indices in Organic Durum Wheat Grown in Mediterranean Area

“…However, the N grain content was not efficiently converted into either protein or yield, since both NUtE and grain protein concentration were lower under S fertilization without any significant effect on yield. On the other hand, also under conventional system, the effect of S on wheat protein concentration and yield is controversial [14,17,[43][44][45][46][47][48]. Although several studies have reported a positive effect of S fertilizations under water stress conditions [49][50][51], we found a decrease in pre-anthesis N uptake, N translocation, N grain content, and grain protein concentration in the drier GS2 under CTR + S. On the contrary, the joint N and S foliar fertilization (CTR + NS) increased pre-anthesis N uptake, N translocation, NUtE and grain yield, demonstrating their positive and additive effect [52], under water stress conditions.…”

Long-term rotation impacts soil total macronutrient levels and wheat response to applied nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur in a Luvisolic soil

“…Similar to P, wheat response to applied S in the 5 yr rotation was apparently influenced by reduced biological N fixation associated with S exclusion during the hay phase. In both rotations, wheat response to S was comparable although slightly lower than response to P. Wheat has not generally been observed to respond to applied S in western Canada (Grant et al 2004;Karamanos et al 2013b), but there have been reports of wheat response to applied S in a dark gray Luvisol in Saskatchewan (Malhi et al 2009). These results suggest that long-term intensive rotations, especially containing forages, will eventually draw down soil S to critical levels if not replaced.…”