Long-term sulfur fertilization: effect on crops and residual effects in a no-till system of Argentinean pampas

DIVITO, G.A.; SAINZ ROZAS, H.R.; ECHEVERRIA, H.E.; WYNGAARD, N.

COMMUNICATIONS IN SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT ANALYSIS

TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013

0010-3624

A long-term experiment has been conducted between 2001 and 2008 at Balcarce,Argentina, to determine the effect of sulfur (S) fertilization on S concentration in grains,crop yield, and residual S in soil. Two treatments were evaluated: annual S applicationto crops (15 kg ha-1; S1) and a control with no S fertilization (S0). Sulfur fertilizationonly increased wheat yield (22% of the crops in the experiment). However, S applicationincreased S concentration in grains in wheat, soybean, and maize (56% of thecrops). Although, for all years, the S mass balance was positive for S1 and negative forS0, no differences in soil S extracted as sulfate (S-SO4 -2) content previous to the cropsown were determined. The absence of differences in S accumulation in abovegroundvegetative biomass and grain of the maize used as a check also suggest that long-termS fertilization did not affect the soil S availability for crops.