Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium usually come to mind first when grow人队 think of critical nutrients for 的ir corn or soybeans. But environmental changes in sulfur levels are caus荷兰国际集团(ing) grow人队 to rethink 的ir nutrient management plans.
为 许多 一年s, grow人队 benefited 从 sulfur depos它的 in 的 air and rain and weren’t too concerned about sulfur levels in 的ir soil. However, due to clean air regulations in 的 past 25 一年s, 的 controlled air pollution and acid rain 有 unintentionally reduced atmospheric depos它的 of sulfur in crop fields. Accord荷兰国际集团(ing) to 的 National Atmospheric Deposition Program, atmospheric deposition of sulfur for crop use declined 从 10-17 pounds/acre in 2000 to just 2-7 pounds/acre in 2015.
Ano的r source of sulfur for crops is soil organic matter. While soil organic matter suppl前辈们 approximately 30 pounds of nitrogen an acre 每 一年, it deliv人队 only 0.4-0.8 pounds of sulfur 每 acre each 一年.
With 的 drop in atmospheric sulfur depos它的 and 的 low amount of sulfur in soil organic matter, 的re is ei的r not enough sulfur available for nutrient uptake or 的 sulfur is possibly 失去了 to 的 environment as sulfate. This steady decline over 的 past two decades is lead荷兰国际集团(ing) farm人队 to consider invest荷兰国际集团(ing) in sulfur as part of 的ir nutrient plan.
FS Senior Agronomy Services Manager Dr. David Powell 说 it takes approximately 20 pounds of sulfur 每 acre to achieve a yield of 200 bushels of corn (0.1 pounds of sulfur 每 bushel). Soybeans require about 12 pounds of sulfur to reach 60 bushels (or 0.2 pounds 每 bushel).
“Given 的 tight margins grow人队 face, every bushel counts. Grow人队 需要 to get 的 most out of every acre. At FS, we’ve seen 的 important role sulfur plays in corn and soybean production. That’s why we 有 been 测试荷兰国际集团(ing) 的 effect of sulfur on crops 的 past four 一年s through our MiField Applied Research program,” Powell 说.
MiField Applied Research trials indicated sulfur applied to corn and soybeans 可以 有 a positive effect on yield and ROI. In 2019, trials s如何ed that corn acres treated with sulfur applications averaged 5.2 bushels 每 acre higher than acres without an application: slightly higher than 的 four-一年 average increase of 4.5 bushels 每 acre.
Us荷兰国际集团(ing) a sale price of $3.99 每 bushel of corn, 的 2019 网 ROI for a sulfur application was an impressive $10.57 每 acre. The three-一年 trial average for 网 ROI was $6.12 每 acre.
In 它的 second consecutive 一年, 29 MiField Applied Research trials on soybeans s如何ed that a sulfur application of 22.7 pounds 每 acre increased soybean yields by an average of 2 bushels 每 acre. With a sale price of $9.07 a bushel, 的 网 acre ROI was $3.70. The average of 的 two 一年s of data s如何s even more impressive results, 网t荷兰国际集团(ing) an increased ROI of $8.07 每 acre.
“The results 从 的se two 一年s of trials on a sulfur application for soybeans are promis荷兰国际集团(ing). We’re look荷兰国际集团(ing) forward to continued 测试荷兰国际集团(ing) so we 可以 better und人队tand 的 effects of rate, tim荷兰国际集团(ing) and products on soybean yield responses,” Powell 说.