Sulfur fertilization strategy affects grass yield, nitrogen uptake, and nitrate leaching: A field lysimeter study^#

Abstract

Background Globally and at the European Union level there are mounting concerns regarding nitrogen (N) losses from agricultural systems and pressure to reduce N losses to water and air. Suboptimal plant sulfur (S) availability can reduce plant N efficiency and thereby increase N loss potential. Climate change action demands lower sulfur dioxide emissions thus S deposition levels are at an all‐time low. Aims The objectives of the current study were to (1) determine the potential for adequate S nutrition to increase grassland yield and N efficiency, (2) determine if alleviating S deficiency reduces nitrate leaching, and (3) evaluate a number of strategies for applying S including the use of cattle slurry. Methods This work was completed using a free‐draining sandy loam grassland lysimeter facility. There were six treatments using calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), CAN + calcium sulfate (CAN+S), ammonium sulfate + CAN (AS+CAN), and slurry (Slurry+CAN and Slurry+CAN+S, respectively) to deliver S strategies. The yield, plant N and S uptake, and nitrate and sulfate leachate were measured to compare treatments. Results Application of mineral S fertilizer increased yields significantly (up to 2,907 kg ha–1) and increased apparent fertilizer nitrogen recovery from 39% to 47–49%. Alleviating S deficiency also significantly decreased nitrate leaching to levels not differing significantly from the control. There was a reduction of 46% in nitrate leaching with the addition of mineral S (CAN+S and AS+CAN) compared to N only. The nitrate concentration standard for drinking water was not breached for treatments that included S (6.6–11 mg NO3–‐N L–1), whereas it was breached for those without S (23–40 mg NO3–‐N L–1). The S applied in the slurry treatment was not adequate (9 kg S ha–1) to meet plant requirements. Conclusion This study provides evidence that optimization of S nutrition has the potential to deliver large agronomic and environmental benefits along with potential as a nitrate leaching migration strategy on S‐deficient soils.

Effects of Nitrogen Sources on Primary and Secondary Production from Annual Temperate and Tropical Pastures in Southern Brazil

“…This effect represented a significant 121% increase in the agronomic efficiency of the N applied as NH 4 NO 3 (+). Although Ca and S are essential nutrients for plants, they are often neglected when considering the fertilization of pastures [32,33]. According to Jones and Ryan [34], soil acidification impacts approximately 30% of the potential food production area globally, with these soils generally deficient in calcium.…”

“…According to Jones and Ryan [34], soil acidification impacts approximately 30% of the potential food production area globally, with these soils generally deficient in calcium. Furthermore, we are currently experiencing a period of relatively low S deposition via precipitation compared to the past, with soil S deposition levels reaching historic lows [32]. This implies reduced synergies between nutrients in the soil, resulting in an imbalance that affects N use efficiency and thus compromises the sustainability of agroecosystems.…”

“…Additionally, the high S availability may have mitigated the effects of supplementation with NH 4 NO 3 (+), leading to the lack of discernible impacts compared to urea, regarding effectiveness in N utilization. For this reason, considering that, currently, soil S deposition levels are reaching historic lows [32], future studies should also quantify the effects of supplementation with NH4NO3 (+) under low soil S availability conditions.…”

An Overview of Factors Affecting the Functional Quality of Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

“…Cysteine, participating in the formation of disulfide bonds between adjacent chains of polypeptides of the gluten complex, plays a key role in shaping its spatial structure [202]. Hence, such a decrease in sulfuric amino acids consequently reduces the rheological parameters of wheat dough, negatively affecting its viscoelastic properties [203]. This was confirmed by Järvan et al [204], who observed an increase in the contents of cysteine and methionine, as well as threonine and lysine, in response to an increase in sulfur supply.…”

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Yield Response to Different Sulfur Rates and Sources

“…Visual signs of S deficiency in several crops have been discovered lately because of the decreased atmospheric SO 4 2À deposition and increasing purity of fertilizers (Brady and Weil 2004). As a result, research was conducted to determine recommended S rates for various crops with changing S availability (Aspel et al 2022;Inal et al 2003;Mullins 1998;Wysocki et al 2013). However, because S has a strong relationship with other nutrients, it is necessary to investigate the S rate and sources to improve nutrient use efficiency (Chien et al 2011).…”