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Sulphur’s Role in Crop Production

Soil Nutrition and Plant Fertility Symposium30th July 2015

_______________________________________________Presented by

Lawrence Jansen van RensburgTechnical Director

Nulandis

Maaden Phosphate Company


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Nature’s sulphuric acid plants


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Can we use S as an indicator of the health of nutrition in the agricultural sector?

•Sulphur balance sheet• Soil status• Crop disease


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1. Sulphur balance sheet


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Source: TSI

2: Soil status

• Parent material• Soil organic content• Management practices


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3: Crop disease


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Are we contributing to increased disease pressure?• Sulphur Induced Resistance

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Trophobiosis

• “Plant are made immune to the extent that they lack the nutritional factors that parasites require for their development”

Francis Chaboussou, Healthy Crops, A New Agricultural Revolution, 2004


Codling moth (Cydia pomonella)

Sulphur uptake pattern


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Total maize N and S uptake and partitioning across four plant stover fractions: leaf, stalk, reproductive, and grain tissues. Each value is a mean of six hybrids across two site-years at Urbana, IL (2010) and DeKalb, IL (2010).

GGDF = growing degree days (Fahrenheit)Bender et.al. Better Crops/Vol. 97 (2013, No. 1)

Sulphur fertilisers

• Sulphates• Thiosulphates• Elemental S

• 4R’s Stewardship Programme - IPNI– Right Type– Right Place– Right Time– Right Rate


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Sulphates

Benefits Drawbacks

Singlesuperphosphate(0-5-0-11)

Simple manufacturingCostSupply of Ca and P

Low analysis

Gypsum(0-0-0-24)

Widely availableSource of S and CaRemoves Na ions

Low solubilityDifficult to applyHigh rates to get S

Ammoniumsulphate(21-0-0-24)

Widely availableCostHigh analysisEase of blending

Fixed N to S ratioStrongly acidifyingHigh salt index


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Thiosulphates

• A versatile liquid sulphur fertiliser

• Near neutral pH• Compatible with other liquid

fertilisers• Urease and nitrification inhibitor


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CationAmmonium 12-0-0-16

Potassium 0-0-20-17

Calcium 0-0-0-10 6Ca

Magnesium 0-0-0-10 4Mg

Elemental sulphur

• The key factors in So oxidation to sulphate:– Thiobacillus population– Temperature– Oxygen– Moisture– Particle size


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S0 particle size effect


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Applying the 4R’sAmmonium sulphate

Thiosulphate Elemental S

Timing Before and after seeding

Before crop emergence

Before planting

Placement Broadcast, incorporation and foliar

Broadcast irrigation and drip

Broadcast and incorporation

Rate Multipleapplications –crop specific

Longer term availability –crop specific

Long term availability –crop specific

Caution LeachingSeed damage if too close

Do not mix with acidic products (SO2 release),ATS not to be foliar applied

Low salt index, but banding not recommended due to slow conversion rate


Conclusions

• S - as a barometer of ‘health’ of agriculture sector

• S - crop health • S management using the 4R Nutrient

Stewardship Principles


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