Sulfur and nitrogen responses by barley and wheat on a sandy soil in a semi-arid environment
M. K. Conyers
A C F , J. E. Holland A D , B. Haskins B , R. Whitworth B , G. J. Poile A C , A. Oates A , V. van der Rijt A C and E. Tavakkoli A E
A Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, PMB Pine Gully Road, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
B AgGrow Agronomy and Research, 7 Francine Court, Yoogali, NSW 2680, Australia.
C Retired from NSW Department of Primary Industries.
D 1 Rhynd Farm Cottages, Leuchars, St Andrews, KY16 ODR, UK.
E Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, Pugsley Place, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: mconyers@bigpond.net.au
Crop and Pasture Science 71(10) 894-906 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP20280
Submitted: 4 August 2020 Accepted: 2 October 2020 Published: 19 November 2020
Abstract
Soil testing guidelines for sulfur (S) under dryland cropping in south-eastern Australia are not well developed. Our objective was to assess the value of soil and tissue tests for S and nitrogen (N), because the two minerals frequently interact), in predicting S-deficient sites and hence increasing the probability of response to application of S (and N). Here, we report three proximal experiments in 2014–16 for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on a sandy soil in a semi-arid environment near Merriwagga in western New South Wales. The trials contained a factorial combination of four rates of each of applied N as urea and S as high-grade gypsum.
Responses to S were obtained for dry matter (DM) quantity and nutrient content at flowering in 2014, but no grain-yield response was obtained in any year. DM response to applied S was obtained when the concentration of S in the DM was increased from 0.08% in barley and 0.09% in wheat without S application to 0.10–0.11% in both crops with S applied as gypsum. Because we obtained no grain-yield responses to applied S, the 0.10% S in grain was likely to have been adequate for both crops in these experiments. A pool of subsoil S was accessed during each season and this compensated for any DM deficiencies of S by the time of grainfill. Shallow soil tests (0–10 cm) for S can therefore indicate sufficiency but not necessarily deficiency; therefore, in grain-cropping areas, we recommend soil S tests on the same samples as used for deep N testing (to 60 cm) and that an S-budgeting approach be used following the soil tests. Furthermore, for marginal nutritional circumstances such as occurred in this study, the supporting use of N : S ratio is recommended, with values >17 in DM or grain likely to indicate S deficiency for both barley and wheat.
Keywords: phosphorus, plant testing, soil testing, soil sulfur, yield response.
References
Anderson GC, Fillery IRP (2001) Sulphate and nitrogen net mineralization in coarse-textured soils in Western Australia. In ‘Plant nutrition’. pp. 944–945. (Springer: Dordrecht, Netherlands)Anderson GC, Fillery IRP, Ripper FH, Leach BJ (2006) Sulfur mineralization in a coarse textured soil after different fertilization histories, and yield responses of wheat and lupin. Soil Research 44, 165–174.
| Sulfur mineralization in a coarse textured soil after different fertilization histories, and yield responses of wheat and lupin.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Anderson GC, Peverill KI, Brennan RF (2013) Soil sulfur–crop response calibration relationships and criteria for field crops grown in Australia. Crop & Pasture Science 64, 523–530.
| Soil sulfur–crop response calibration relationships and criteria for field crops grown in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Angus JF, Grace PR (2017) Nitrogen balance in Australia and nitrogen use efficiency on Australian farms. Soil Research 55, 435–450.
| Nitrogen balance in Australia and nitrogen use efficiency on Australian farms.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Arata AF, Lerner SE, Tranqulli GE, Arrigoni AC, Rondanini DP (2017) Nitrogen × sulfur interaction on fertiliser-use efficiency in bread wheat genotypes from the Argentine Pampas. Crop & Pasture Science 68, 202–212.
| Nitrogen × sulfur interaction on fertiliser-use efficiency in bread wheat genotypes from the Argentine Pampas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Aula L, Dhillon JS, Omara P, Wehmeyer GB, Freeman KW, Raun WR (2019) World sulfur use efficiency for cereal crops. Agronomy Journal 111, 2485–2492.
| World sulfur use efficiency for cereal crops.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Blackburn G, McLeod S (1983) Salinity of atmospheric precipitation in the Murray–Darling drainage division, Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 21, 411–434.
| Salinity of atmospheric precipitation in the Murray–Darling drainage division, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Blake-Kalff MMA, Hawkesford MJ, Zhao FJ, McGrath SP (2000) Diagnosing sulfur deficiency in field-grown oil seed rape (Brassica napus L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant and Soil 225, 95–107.
| Diagnosing sulfur deficiency in field-grown oil seed rape (Brassica napus L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brennan RF, Bolland MDA (2006) Soil and tissue tests to predict the sulfur requirements of canola in south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 1061–1068.
| Soil and tissue tests to predict the sulfur requirements of canola in south-western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brennan RF, Bolland MDA (2008) Significant nitrogen by sulfur interactions occurred for canola grain production and oil concentration in grain on sandy soils in the Mediterranean-type climate of southwestern Australia. Journal of Plant Nutrition 31, 1174–1187.
| Significant nitrogen by sulfur interactions occurred for canola grain production and oil concentration in grain on sandy soils in the Mediterranean-type climate of southwestern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Conyers MK, Bell MJ, Wilhelm NS, Bell R, Norton RM, Walker C (2013) Making Better Fertiliser Decisions for Cropping Systems in Australia (BFDC): knowledge gaps and lessons learnt. Crop & Pasture Science 64, 539–547.
| Making Better Fertiliser Decisions for Cropping Systems in Australia (BFDC): knowledge gaps and lessons learnt.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Eppendorfer W (1968) The effect of nitrogen and sulphur on changes in nitrogen fractions of barley plants at various early stages of growth and yield and amino acid composition of grain. Plant and Soil 29, 424–438.
| The effect of nitrogen and sulphur on changes in nitrogen fractions of barley plants at various early stages of growth and yield and amino acid composition of grain.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hubble GD, Isbell RF, Northcote KH (1983) Features of Australian soils. In ‘Soils: an Australian viewpoint’. pp. 17–47. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Isbell RF (1996) ‘The Australian Soil Classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Jeffrey SJ, Carter JO, Moodie KB, Beswick AR (2001) Using spatial interpretation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data. Environmental Modelling & Software 16, 309–330.
| Using spatial interpretation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo
Kirkegaard J, Lilley J (2007) Root penetration rate: a benchmark to identify soil and plant limitations to rooting depth in wheat. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 590–602.
| Root penetration rate: a benchmark to identify soil and plant limitations to rooting depth in wheat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lewis DC (1999) Sulfur. In ‘Soil analysis: an interpretation manual’. (Eds KI Peverill, LA Sparrow, DJ Reuter) pp. 221–228. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Luo C, Branlard G, Griffin WB, McNeil DL (2000) The effect of nitrogen and sulphur fertilization and their interaction with genotype on wheat glutenins and quality parameters. Journal of Cereal Science 31, 185–194.
| The effect of nitrogen and sulphur fertilization and their interaction with genotype on wheat glutenins and quality parameters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGrath SP, Zhao FJ (1996) Sulphur uptake, yield responses and the interactions between nitrogen and sulphur in oilseed rape (Brassica napus). The Journal of Agricultural Science 126, 53–62.
| Sulphur uptake, yield responses and the interactions between nitrogen and sulphur in oilseed rape (Brassica napus).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McLaughlin MJ, Alston AM, Martin JK (1988) Phosphorus cycling in wheat-pasture rotations. I. The source of phosphorus taken up by wheat. Australian Journal of Soil Research 26, 323–331.
| Phosphorus cycling in wheat-pasture rotations. I. The source of phosphorus taken up by wheat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Northcote KH (1966) ‘Atlas of Australian soils.’ CSIRO. (Melbourne University Press: Melbourne)
Peoples MB, Swan AD, Goward L, Kirkegaard JA, Hunt JR, Li GD, Schwenke GD, Herridge DF, Moodie M, Wilhelm N, Potter T, Denton MD, Browne C, Phillips LA, Khan DF (2017) Soil mineral nitrogen benefits derived from legumes and comparisons of the apparent recovery of legume or fertiliser nitrogen by wheat. Soil Research 55, 600–615.
| Soil mineral nitrogen benefits derived from legumes and comparisons of the apparent recovery of legume or fertiliser nitrogen by wheat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Randall PJ (1988) Evaluation of the sulphur status of soils and plants: techniques and interpretation. In ‘Sulphur in Indian agriculture’. (The Sulphur Institute: Washington, DC)
Rayment GE, Lyons DJ (2011) ‘Soil chemical methods: Australasia.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Reuter DJ, Edwards DG, Wilhelm NS (1997) Temperate and tropical crops. In ‘Plant analysis: an interpretation manual’. (Eds DJ Reuter, JB Robinson) (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Street M (2014) Review of sulfur strategy to improve profitability in canola in the central west of NSW. GRDC Update Papers. Grains Research and Development Corporation, Canberra, ACT. Available at: Grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2014/02/review-of-sulfur-strategy
Wichern F, Eberhardt E, Mayer J, Joergensen RG, Mueller T (2008) Nitrogen rhizodeposition in agricultural crops: methods, estimates and future prospects. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 40, 30–48.
| Nitrogen rhizodeposition in agricultural crops: methods, estimates and future prospects.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
