Plant sulfur isotopic compositions are altered by marine fertilizers

Szpak, Paul; Longstaffe, Fred J.; Macdonald, Rebecca; Millaire, Jean-François; White, Christine D.; Richards, Michael P.

doi:10.1007/s12520-018-0716-5

Cited by 20 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Although there have been many modern crop studies using seaweed extracts or elemental sulphur, these have primarily focused on the growth response and uptake of sulphur and nitrogen in the plant, 30,55,59–61 rather than tracing the effect of biofertilisation on sulphur isotopes. Szpak et al 62 showed that the use of marine bird guano with very elevated δ 15 N values (e.g., > +20‰) had a significant effect on the δ 15 N values of maize ( Zea mays ), common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) and summer squash ( Cucurbita pepo ) in a growth chamber experiment; a similar shift was also reported in δ 34 S values. They also reported no change in δ 34 S values in a northern Peru field experiment due to previous, long‐term application of ammonium sulphate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Effects of marine biofertilisation on Celtic bean carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes: Implications for reconstructing past diet and farming practices

Gröcke

Treasure

Lester

et al. 2021

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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Rationale The application of fertilisers to crops can be monitored and assessed using stable isotope ratios. However, the application of marine biofertilisers (e.g., fish, macroalgae/seaweed) on crop stable isotope ratios has been rarely studied, despite widespread archaeological and historical evidence for the use of marine resources as a soil amendment. Methods A heritage variety of Celtic bean, similar in size and shape to archaeobotanical macrofossils of Vicia faba L., was grown in three 1 × 0.5 m outdoor plots under three soil conditions: natural soil (control); natural soil mixed with macroalgae (seaweed); and 15 cm of natural soil placed on a layer of fish carcasses (Atlantic cod). These experiments were performed over two growing seasons in the same plots. At the end of each growing season, the plants were sampled, measured and analysed for carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotope ratios (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 34 S). Results The bean plants freely uptake the newly bioavailable nutrients (nitrogen and sulphur) and incorporate a marine isotopic ratio into all tissues. The bean δ 15 N values ranged between 0.8‰ and 1.0‰ in the control experiment compared with 2‰ to 3‰ in the macroalgae crop and 8‰ to 17‰ in the cod fish experiment. Their δ 34 S values ranged between 5‰ and 7‰ in the control compared with 15‰ to 16‰ in the macroalgae crop and 9‰ to 12‰ in the cod fish crop. The beans became more 13 C‐depleted (δ 13 C values: 1–1.5‰ lower) due to crop management practices. Conclusions Humans and animals consuming plants grown with marine biofertilisers will incorporate a marine signature. Isotopic enrichment in nitrogen and sulphur using marine resources has significant implications when reconstructing diets and farming practices in archaeological populations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Effects of marine biofertilisation on Celtic bean carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes: Implications for reconstructing past diet and farming practices

Gröcke

Treasure

Lester

et al. 2021

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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“…Canadian soils receive low amount of isotopically heavy marine sulphates but large amount of isotopically light anthropogenic S from the eastern USA [71]. Canadian farmers use fertilizers produced with ammonium sulphates and ammonium nitrates, which are manufactured using isotopically low crude oils and ore sulfides [54]. Microbially or plant mediated isotopic fractionation amplified by climate conditions could also explain the low δ 34 S values in Canadian food systems [52].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Though results remain ambiguous, δ 34 S values are potentially influenced by trophic level [30,46,47] and internal metabolism [48]. δ 34 S baselines in food systems also display spatial patterns related to the local environmental conditions at the site of production [49] including bedrock geology [50,51], climate [52], soil properties [52], aerosol deposition [50] and fertilization practices [53,54].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing geographic controls of hair isotopic variability in human populations: A case-study in Canada

et al. 2020

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Studying the isotope variability in fast-growing human tissues (e.g., hair, nails) is a powerful tool to investigate human nutrition. However, interpreting the controls of this isotopic variability at the population scale is often challenging as multiple factors can superimpose on the isotopic signals of a current population. Here, we analyse carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotopes in hair from 590 Canadian resident volunteers along with demographics, dietary and geographic information about each participant. We use a series of machine-learning regressions to demonstrate that the isotopic values in Canadian residents' hair are not only influenced by dietary choices but by geographic controls. First, we show that isotopic values in Canadian residents' hair have a limited range of variability consistent with the homogenization of Canadian dietary habits (as in other industrialized countries). As expected, some of the isotopic variability within the population correlates with recorded individual dietary choices. More interestingly, some regional spatial patterns emerge from carbon and sulphur isotope variations. The high carbon isotope composition of the hair of eastern Canadians relative to that of western Canadians correlates with the dominance of corn in the eastern Canadian food-industry. The gradient of sulphur isotope composition in Canadian hair from coast to inland regions correlates with the increasing soil pH and decreasing deposition of marine-derived sulphate aerosols in local food systems. We conclude that part of the isotopic variability found in the hair of Canadian residents reflects the isotopic signature associated with specific environmental conditions and agricultural practices of regional food systems transmitted to humans through the high consumption rate of intra-provincial food in Canada. Our study also underscores the strong potential of sulphur isotopes as tracers of human and food provenance.

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“…Therefore, δ 34 S values have been used as a proxy for marine food consumption. Plants grown using marine fertilizers also reflect the marine signal in their δ 34 S values (Szpak et al, 2019).…”

Section: Stable Isotope Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Salted marine fish was transported for sale to mountainous villages in premodern Japan, but it is hypothesized that these products were consumed mostly for salt intake but not for fish meat (Miyamoto, 1985). Crops grown with marine fertilizers show a marine signal in their δ 34 S values (Szpak et al, 2019), and a historical document, Ikegami-ke monjo, which describes everyday life around Ibaraki, Osaka, during 1595-1943 indicates that marine fish fertilizer for crops was purchased from merchants in the city of Osaka by premodern Sendaiji inhabitants (Osaka Center for Cultural Heritage, 1999). The sulfur stable isotope analysis of premodern rice hulls excavated in Unseiji, Akashi, Hyogo, western Japan, suggests that marine fertilizer was used around Akashi in the Edo period (Tsutaya et al, 2016b).…”

Section: Diet In Sendaijimentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotopic reconstruction of human diet in a mountainous woodland village in Sendaiji in premodern Japan

Tsutaya

Yoneda

Abe

et al. 2019

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The reconstruction of everyday diets in villages is important for understanding the diversity of diets and commerce networks of food items in premodern Japan. However, premodern diets in villages have not been well studied compared with those in cities. In this study, stable isotope analyses were performed on 23 adult human skeletons excavated from Sendaiji, a mountainous woodland village of underground Christians in Osaka in premodern Japan. No significant isotopic differences was found between individuals identified as Buddhists and those identified as Christians or between females and males. The total mean carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios were-21.1 ± 0.4‰, 11.6 ± 1.0‰, and 8.9 ± 1.3‰, respectively. The carbon isotope ratios in Sendaiji were the lowest among the studied premodern populations probably because these individuals consumed woodland foods that are affected by the canopy effect. No significant correlation between sulfur and nitrogen isotope ratios was apparent, suggesting that there was little contribution from marine foods or marine fertilizers to the diet of individuals in premodern Sendaiji. The relatively high nitrogen isotope ratios in Sendaiji were possibly because of the denitrification in paddy rice fields, ammonium uptake by paddy rice, use of animal fertilizers, and/ or consumption of freshwater fish. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed bioarchaeological study of the premodern diet in a mountainous village in western Japan.

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Plant sulfur isotopic compositions are altered by marine fertilizers

Cited by 20 publications

References 61 publications

Effects of marine biofertilisation on Celtic bean carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes: Implications for reconstructing past diet and farming practices

Effects of marine biofertilisation on Celtic bean carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes: Implications for reconstructing past diet and farming practices

Assessing geographic controls of hair isotopic variability in human populations: A case-study in Canada

Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotopic reconstruction of human diet in a mountainous woodland village in Sendaiji in premodern Japan

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