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Sulfur Fertilization of Winter Wheat Grown on Deep Sandy Soils¹

ABSTRACT

Surface horizons of sandy Coastal Plain soils of the southeastern United States are low in available SO^–2₄, and crops are often dependent upon adsorbed SO^–2₄ in the B horizon. The objective of this study was to determine the response of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to sulfur (S) fertilization on three soils which varied in depth to the B horizon; a Wagram soil (Arenic Paleudults) > 50 cm to the B, and two Norfolk soils (Typic Paleudults) 31 and 48 cm to the B. Sulfur rates covered the range from 0 to 90 kg S ha^–1. Sources used were CaSO₄ · 2H₂O, elemental S plus bentonite (Sol-U-Sul) and (NH₄)₂SO₄. Measurements were made of S concentration and N/S ratio of plants, root distribution with depth at spike emergence and grain yield at harvest. Yield response to S fertilization was obtained on the Wagram soil and the Norfolk soil in which root growth was restricted by a tillage pan but not on the Norfolk soil with the B horizon at 31 cm. A rate of 20 kg S ha^–1 as SO^2–₄ applied in late February was adequate for optimum response. Sol-U-Sul applied in February was not effective. Ammonium sulfate was equally effective as CaSO₄. Plants responded to S fertilization where nonfertilized plants had S concentrations of 0.6 g kg^–1 dry weight and N/S ratios of 21. Response of wheat to S fertilization depended upon the depth to the B horizon and root distribution in the soil profile. No response to S fertilization was obtained on a Norfolk soil in which there was appreciable root growth in the 30- to 45-cm depth. That depth contained an accumulation of SO^2–₄. Where root growth was essentially restricted to the top 30 cm of a Norfolk soil in which SO^2-₄ accumulation started at the 45-cm depth there was a large response to S fertilization.

¹ Journal series no. 9400 of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27695. The research was supported by a grant from Allied Fibers and Plastics.

² Formerly Visiting Assistant Professor and Professor, respectively, Dep. of Soil Science, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695.

Received for publication July 19, 1984. Accepted for publication February 8, 1985.