VII. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop
Stara Lesna, Slovakia, 2008
SULPHUR BALANCE AT DIFFERENT NITROGEN
FERTILIZATION LEVELS
1
1
1
Aleksandra JURISIC – Milan MESIC – Zeljka ZGORELEC – Ivana VUKOVIC
1
1
Department of General Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetosimunska c. 25,
Croatia, ajurisic@agr.hr
Abstract:
Quantities of sulphur losses via lysimeters and sulphur wheat grain uptake were studied in a field experiment
set up on Stagnosols near Popovaca, Central Croatia. Winter wheat was cultivated in 2005/2006. The highest
grain uptake of 16.9 kg S ha-1 and the highest S-S042- leaching via lysimeters was achieved at treatment with
300 kg of nitrogen per ha. Annual sulphur deposition in 2006. was 4.88 kg S-SO4 ha-1. Sulphur grain uptake
was higher then annual sulphur atmospheric deposition.
Keywords: sulphur balance, nitrogen fertilization, N/S ratio, winter wheat, leaching
Introduction
The goal of this research was to quantify the sulphur losses via lysimeters and sulphur
losses by grain uptake in experiment with different nitrogen fertilization levels applied
for fertilization of grown crops and to define possible influence of fertilization levels on
sulphur balance.
Sulphur (S) occurs in the soil in organic and inorganic forms. Plants mainly absorb S in
the form of SO42-. Sulphur is essential constituent of proteins and its deficiency results
with inhibition of protein synthesis. Gyori (2005) noted that sulphur content in winter
wheat grain was influenced not only by sulphur fertilizers, but nitrogen fertilisers as
well. Kalocsai et al. (2006) proved that due to N, P, K fertilization the S content of
winter wheat increases. Mars et al. (2006) examined the effects of sulphur on winter
wheat yield. Eriksen et al. (2002) investigated sulphate leaching and S balance in
organic cereal crop rotation. They found that sulphate leaching was quantitatively the
most important item of the S balance.
Materials and methods
This study was carried out on drained Stagnosols near village Potok in the vicinity of
Popovaca. Area is characterised with continental climate where mean annual
temperature is 10.7 °C and annual average rainfall is 865 mm. Experiment has 10
treatments but only four are taken into consideration in this paper: 1. N 0+P+K, 2.
N100+P+K, 3. N200+P+K, 4. N300+P+K. Zero-tension pan lysimeters are installed at the
depth of 80 cm. Water samples were taken in periods with lysimeters discharge. This
research present results for the year 2006., when winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) was
grown in the experiment. Soil samples were taken in spring, summer and winter from
each treatment and each horizon (0-30 cm, 30-55 cm and 55-80cm). Samples were air
dried, sieved (< 2mm), oven-dried at 105°C until constancy of weight, and analysed for
total S. Total S content in soil samples was determined by dry combustion method
(HRN ISO 15178:2005, Soil quality-Determination of total sulphur by dry combustion)
using an Elemental Analyzer vario Macro. SO42- content in lysimeters water was
determined by ion chromatography method (HRN EN ISO 10304-1:1998, Water
quality-Determination of dissolved fluoride, chloride, nitrate, orthophosphate, bromide,
1
DOI: 10.1556/CRC.36.2008.Suppl.1
VII. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop
Stara Lesna, Slovakia, 2008
nitrate and sulphate ions, using liquid chromatography of ions – Part 1: Method for
water with low contamination) on Doinex ICS-1000 system with an analytical column
[Ion Pac AS 17 (4x250 mm), Dionex]. After harvest, winter wheat grain was oven-dried
at 70°C until constancy of weight and then analysed for total S content by dry
combustion method using an Elemental Analyzer vario Macro.
Values obtained by laboratory analysis were subjected to ANOVA, and the LSD test at
5 % probability was calculated.
Results and discussion
Average total S content in soil and average S-SO4 soil content per treatments and depths
are presented in figure 1. The highest total S content (4416 kg S ha-1) was recorded in
the treatment with 200 kg N ha-1 and the highest S-SO4 soil content (40.3 kg S ha-1) was
recorded in the treatment with 100 kg N ha-1 at soil depth 0-30 cm (Fig. 1.a). Total S
soil content at soil depth 30-55 cm ranged from 2508 kg S ha-1 in the treatment with 0
kg N ha-1 to 2825 kg S ha-1 in the treatment with 100 kg N ha-1. S-SO4 soil content
decreased with increased nitrogen fertilization levels (Fig. 1.b). Total S soil content at
soil depth 55-80 cm decreased with increased nitrogen fertilization levels (Fig. 1.c). The
sum of average total S content for three depths varied from 8293 kg ha-1 at treatment
with 0 kg N ha-1 to 9937 kg ha-1 at treatment with 200 kg N ha-1. The sum of average SSO4 soil content for all three analysed depths varied from 102 kg ha-1 at treatment with
300 kg N ha-1 up to 143.7 kg ha-1 at treatment with 0 kg N ha-1.
40,0
3500
3500
20,0
3000
10,0
2000
2500
0,0
1500
N100
N200
kg S ha
-1
30,0
Total S soil content
40,0
-1
kg S-S0 4 ha
-1
kg S ha
4000
N0
50,0
3000
30,0
2500
20,0
N300
10,0
0,0
N0
S-SO4 soil conten
kg S-S0 4 ha
50,0
4500
-1
5000
N100
N200
Total S soil content
(a)
N300
S-SO4 soil conten
(b)
3000
70,0
40,0
30,0
2000
20,0
-1
kg S-S0 4 ha
50,0
kg S ha
-1
60,0
2500
10,0
1500
0,0
N0
N100
N200
Total S soil content
N300
S-SO4 soil conten
(c)
Figure 1. Average total S soil content and average S-SO4 soil content per treatments and depths
(a) 0-30 cm, (b) 30-55cm, (c) 55-80 cm
Annual atmospheric sulphur deposition at Bilogora measuring station (the closest
measuring station to experimental field) decreased from 10.56 kg S-SO4 ha-1 in 2001. to
4.88 kg S-SO4 ha-1 in 2006. (Statistical Yearbook of Republic of Croatia 2002-2007).
Sulphur deposition decreased trough years regardless the change in annul precipitation
(Table 1.).
2
DOI: 10.1556/CRC.36.2008.Suppl.1
VII. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop
Stara Lesna, Slovakia, 2008
Table 1. Annual deposition of sulphur and annual precipitation
Year
2001.
2002.
2003.
2004.
2005.
2006.
kg S-SO42- ha-1
10.56
8.86
7.42
6.04
6.19
4.88
Precipitation,
mm
813.8
876.2
512.4
866.5
744.5
618.2
Sulphur uptake in wheat grain is significantly higher with increased nitrogen
fertilization levels (Table 2.). This was due to positive influence of nitrogen fertilization
to the winter wheat yields. The highest yield of winter wheat (7.5 t ha-1) was recorded in
the treatment with 300 kg ha-1 of applied mineral nitrogen. Significantly lower yield
(3.1 t ha-1) was recorded in treatment without nitrogen fertilization (P≤0.05). Sulphur
uptake in wheat grain is quantitatively the most important item of the balance. Sulphur
wheat grain uptake varied from 6.1 kg ha-1 up to 16.9 kg ha-1. Eriksen et al. (2002)
reported that sulphur output by winter wheat uptake varied from 0 kg ha-1 to 4 kg ha-1
depend on year and soil type. The S-SO42- losses via lysimeters varied from 1.1 kg ha-1
up to 5.0 kg ha-1. Eriksen et al. (2002) reported that sulphur leaching losses varied from
19 kg ha-1 to 34 kg ha-1 depend on year, soil type and crop type.
Table 2. Sulphur balance per treatments
Input
Output
kg S-SO4 ha
-1
kg S ha
-1
Balance
kg S-SO4 ha
-1
kg S ha-1
Treatment
Deposition
Wheat grain
uptake
Leaching
lysimeters
N0
4.88
6.1
1.1
-2.3
N100
4.88
11.2
3.8
-10,1
N200
4.88
14.0
3.6
-12,7
N300
LSD p=5%
4.88
16.9
5.0
-17,0
0.2
N/S ratio in winter wheat grain is presented in figure 2.
14
N per S ratio
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
N0
N100
N200
N300
Figure 2. N/S ratio per treatments in wheat grain
3
DOI: 10.1556/CRC.36.2008.Suppl.1
VII. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop
Stara Lesna, Slovakia, 2008
N/S ratio increased from 9.6 in the treatment without nitrogen fertilization to 12.3 in the
treatment with 300 kg applied N ha-1. Zhao et al. (1999) recorded that N/S ratio in
winter wheat grain increased from 12.0 to 16.0 depending on year.
Conclusions
1) Atmospheric sulphur deposition at studied area decreased from 10.56 kg ha-1 in 2001.
to 4.88 kg ha-1 in 2006.
2) Total S soil content at soil depth 0-80 cm varied between 8293 kg ha-1 at treatment
with 0 kg N ha-1 and 9937 kg ha-1 at treatment with 200 kg N ha-1. S-SO4 soil content at
soil depth 0-80 cm varied between 102 kg ha-1 at treatment with 300 kg N ha-1 to 143.7
kg ha-1 at treatment without nitrogen fertilization. Compared to the total sulphur content
in soil the amount of S-SO42- in soil at all three studied depths varied from 1.2 to 1.7 %
3) Average S grain uptake varied between 6.1 kg ha-1 at treatment with 0 kg N ha-1 to
16.9 kg S ha-1 at treatment with 300 kg of nitrogen per ha.
4) Average S-SO42- leaching via lysimeters was between 1.1 to 5.0 kg ha -1. The highest
quantity of leached S-SO42- is recorded at treatment with 300 kg of nitrogen per ha.
5) Sulphur uptake and leaching were higher with increased nitrogen doses, but the total
sulphur soil content and S-SO4 soil content revealed that no substantial sulphur deficit
may be expected in longer term. Sulphur grain uptake was higher then annual sulphur
atmospheric deposition.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by a research grant from Ministry of Science and
Technology of the Republic of Croatia, partly by Petrokemija d.d - Fertilizer Plant and
partly by Moslavka d.d. Company.
Reference
Eriksen, J., Olesen, J.E., Askegaard, M., 2002. Sulphate leaching and sulphur balances of an organic cereal
crop rotation on three Danish soils. European Journal of Agronomy, 17: 1-9.
Gyory, Z., 2005. Sulphur content of winter wheat grain in long term field experiments. Communications in
Soil Science & Plant Analysis, 36 (1-3): 373-382.
Kalocsi, R., Giczi ZS., Schmidt, R., Szakál, P., Barkóczy, M., 2006. Effects of sulphate fertilization on the
quality of winter wheat. Cereal Research Comunication, 34 (II): 529-532.
Mars, E., Sipos, P., Tóth, A., Győri, Z., 2006. Quality and yield of winter wheat with sulphur content
formulation. Cereal Research Comunication, 34 (II): 577-580.
Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, 2002: 54; 2003: 55; 2004: 55; 2005: 56; 2006: 57; 2007:56.
Zhao, F.J., Hawkesford, M. J., McGrath, S.P., 1999. Sulphur Assimilation and Effects on Yield and Quality of
Wheat. Journal of Cereal Science, 30: 1-17.
4
DOI: 10.1556/CRC.36.2008.Suppl.1