The rate of sulfur (S) oxidation in Canadian prairie soils under incubation is enhanced with increasing temperature (with a maximum close to 40 °C) and moisture until lack of aeration above field capacity inhibits S oxidation. Oxidation of elemental S to sulfate-S is positively related to pH, organic matter content, nutrient- supplying power, and microbial activity, while it is inversely related to clay content of soil. Techniques that increase the oxidation rate of elemental S in soil include reducing particle size of the fertilizer product, using tillage to incorporate elemental S fertilizer into the soil to increase contact area between elemental S particles and soil microorganisms, and application in advance of crop demand to allow for oxidation to occur before plants require this element. In a 6-year (1999 to 2004) case study on a S-deficient loam soil in northeastern Saskatchewan, elemental S fertilizers were not effective in increasing seed yield and S uptake of canola in 1999, particularly when applied in spring. From 2000 onward, elemental S fertilizers (ES-90 and ES-95) increased seed yield and S uptake significantly over the zero-S control, but usually not at the same level as with sulfate-S containing fertilizers (ammonium sulfate and Agrium Plus). Autumn-applied elemental S usually had greater seed yield and S uptake than the spring-applied elemental S, and the opposite was true for ammonium sulfate in 3 of 6 years. Oil concentration in canola seed showed trends similar to seed yield, though the effects were smaller and less frequent. The need for greater dispersion of elemental S particles from granular elemental S fertilizers, to enhance microbial oxidation to sulfate-S in soil, was considered to be the main requirement for increasing the short-term availability of S in elemental S fertilizers. Canola seed yield, and N and S uptake with surface application of suspension and powder formulations of elemental S fertilizers were similar to sulfate-S fertilizer. Residual benefit of many successive annual elemental S fertilizer applications on soil S fertility was not cumulative. Residual nitrate-N in soil was much higher in the zero-S control than with applied S, and it also tended to be higher in some elemental S treatments than in spring-applied ammonium sulfate. In conclusion, the amount of elemental S fertilizer, needed to adequately meet crop S requirements, should be adjusted based on environmental conditions, soil properties, microbial activity, dispersion of elemental S particles from fertilizer granules, and balance between oxidation and immobilization, leaching, or other S losses in the Parkland region of Canadian prairies.
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Malhi, S.S., Schoenau, J.J., Vera, C.L. (2008). Feasibility of Elemental S Fertilizers for Optimum Seed Yield and Quality of Canola in the Parkland Region of the Canadian Great Plains. In: Khan, N.A., Singh, S., Umar, S. (eds) Sulfur Assimilation and Abiotic Stress in Plants. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76326-0_2
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