Thoughts on acidification of soils by nitrogen and sulfur fertilizers

Abstract

Some crops, like blueberries, require a pH of 4 to 5. Irrigation of acid‐loving crops with alkaline water can raise pH and cause micronutrient deficiencies. Diseases like citrus greening (Huanglongbing) are more severe at higher soil pH values. Application of acidifying fertilizers to lower soil pH may therefore benefit crop growth in such instances and release calcium from calcareous soils to remove sodium. Therefore, a good understanding of the processes involved and the amount of acidification from various fertilizer materials is needed. We show with an anion–cation balance of recent plant uptake data that the alkalinity released from plant uptake of nutrients alone gave a value of 2 kg CaCO3 equivalents of alkalinity per kilogram of N uptake, in close agreement with Association of Official Analytical Chemists values of 1.8. We also provide equations and calculations and a summary table that allows a user to compare the acidifying capacity of commonly available N and S fertilizers.

Responses of soil surface greenhouse gas emissions to nitrogen and sulfur fertilizer rates toBrassica carinatagrown as a bio‐jet fuel

“…Not many studies reported the impact of S fertilizers on SOC under oilseed crops; however, a study in Canada reported a 2–51% reduction in microbial biomass C with the application of elemental S fertilizer in grass field (Gupta et al, 1988). Studies have shown that the application of S fertilizer can increase soil acidity (Fageria et al, 2010; Kissel et al, 2020). However, in contrast, Wiedenfeld (2011) reported that an increase in salinity level was directly correlated with the increasing rate of S fertilizer.…”

Identification and Assessment of Soil Physical and Chemical Properties for Vanili Plants in North Tinangkung District, Banggai Islands Regency

“…Mencapai produksi yang optimal, tanaman vanili membutuhan pH dengan kisaran yang sedikit lebih rendah dari pH tanah di lokasi penelitian, yakni antara 5,5 hingga 6,5 (Hadipoentyanti et al, 2007;Ritung et al, 2011). Upaya penurunan pH tanah secara terkontrol dapat dilakukan melalui pemberian pupuk berbahan dasar nitrogen dan sulfat yang dapat mengasamkan tanah (Kissel et al, 2020).…”

The Effect of Amending Soil with Waste Elemental Sulfur on the Availability of Selected Macroelements and Heavy Metals

“…Matos Castañon et al [36] concluded that soil pH was decreased linearly with increasing elemental sulfur doses. The optimal value of pH for the growth and development of many crops ranges from 6 to 7 [37]. It is assessed that acidic soils (characterized by topsoil pH < 5.5) cover nearly 30% and 50% of the world's total The optimal value of pH for the growth and development of many crops ranges from 6 to 7 [37].…”

“…The optimal value of pH for the growth and development of many crops ranges from 6 to 7 [37]. It is assessed that acidic soils (characterized by topsoil pH < 5.5) cover nearly 30% and 50% of the world's total The optimal value of pH for the growth and development of many crops ranges from 6 to 7 [37]. It is assessed that acidic soils (characterized by topsoil pH < 5.5) cover nearly 30% and 50% of the world's total land and arable land area, respectively.…”

“…However, human activities, including farming practices, accelerate soil acidification [39]. It is well known that using conventional nitrogen and sulfur fertilizers causes formation of strong inorganic acids, and as a result lowers soil pH [37,40]. Application of elemental sulfur may also decrease soil pH.…”