Nutrient cycling in grazed pastures. III. Studies on labelling of the grazed pasture system by solid [³⁵S]gypsum and aqueous Mg³⁵S0₄

Abstract

35S was applied to eight paddocks either onto strips that comprised 1/30 of the area of the paddock or uniformly over the paddock. It was applied as solid [35S]gypsum or aqueous Mg35SO4 at sulphur levels of either 130 mg/ha or 7.8 kg/ha. The specific radioactivity of wool grown by sheep grazing the paddocks showed that strip and uniform labelling gave similar results, that there was no retention of the applied sulphur in forms that were not eventually available to plants, and that after about 260 days the effective specific radioactivity of the cycling sulphur had approached a steady state. There were significant differences between the specific radioactivities of sulphur in phalaris and clover. The differences in the sulphur application levels produced plant materials having slightly different sulphur contents but the major changes in sulphur content were due to the natural sulphur cycle.