The Effect of Various Forms of Sulfur on Soil Organic Matter Fractions and Microorganisms in a Pot Experiment with Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

Abstract

This article focuses on the agronomic evaluation of the supplementation of mineral NPKMg fertilizers with elemental sulfur, magnesium, potassium, or ammonium sulfates in pot experiments with ryegrass growing in a sandy Arenosol with very low sulfur content. A benefit evaluation was carried out on the basis of biomass production, crop nutritional status, and changes in the content of soil organic matter fractions. Furthermore, the total number of bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and fungi was estimated using the qPCR technique in soil samples after 60 days of ryegrass growth. The combined application of NPKMg and sulfur or sulfate fertilizers significantly increased the summary yield of three cuttings of fresh ryegrass biomass in the range of 32.3% to 82.7%. The application, especially in the form of sulfates, significantly decreased the content of free phenolic acids. Furthermore, compared to the control, i.e., soil with NPKMg applied alone, an increase in the content of glomalin-related proteins and a decrease in the amount of water-soluble organic carbon compounds were observed. Neither the number of DNA marker copy numbers of the total bacterial community nor the nitrogen-fixing bacteria were noticeably different. In turn, the total number of genetic markers for fungi was significantly higher in soils with potassium or ammonium sulfates compared to the control soil. The general results suggest that the application of sulfur fertilizers with NPKMg mineral fertilizer can benefit crops and support soil fertility due to the stabilization of aggregates and the decrease in water-soluble organic compounds.

Can magnesium nanofertilizers enhance magnesium use efficiency, biomass and yield in green bean plants?

“…As for root biomass the MgSO4 treatments obtained significant increases in root weight, where 200 MgSO4 showed the highest value than the other Mg sources and the control treatment, with a 400% biomass increase (Figure 1C). Besides its role in plant defense against ROS, S is important in N uptake and an essential component of amino acids promoting plant and root growth (Mengel and Kirby, 2000;Magnucka et al, 2023). In general, crop growth rate is modified by nitrogen application, and its use can be highly dependent on the supply of Mg and S to plants (Karooki et al, 2021).…”

Ranking environmental and edaphic attributes driving soil microbial community structure and activity with special attention to spatial and temporal scales

“…Some examples where micronutrient levels may or can cause enrichment or depletion of specific microbial groups include microbes involved in S transformations, nitrifying organisms, and N 2 ‐fixers 139 , 140 , 141 . S is an essential component of a number of biomolecules including proteins, vitamins, hormones, and lipids for the generation and conservation of biochemical energy 142 .…”

Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) Response to Different Forms of Sulfur Fertilizers

“…In turn, soil microbial activity is dependent on temperature, moisture, pH, and substrate availability [51][52][53]. Ikoyi et al [54] found that short-term sulfate fertilization promotes perennial ryegrass growth by outweighing negative feedback from some of the soil biota, while Magnucka et al [55] found that the application of sulfur fertilizers with the mineral NPKMg promotes soil fertility due to aggregate stabilization and a decrease in water-soluble organic compounds. Nitrogen mineralization from soil organic matter can occur more rapidly compared to the release of sulfur [56,57].…”