Plant Availability of Sulfur Added to Finished Fertilizers |
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| Authors: | Watson Matamwa Chris Guppy Isa Yunusa |
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| Institution: | 1. Prime Minister‘s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government Authority, Kilolo District Council, Kilolo, Tanzania;2. Agronomy and Soil Science, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia;3. Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Kingston, ACT, Australia |
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| Abstract: | As single superphosphate availability decreases due to closure of aging manufacturing plants increasing attention is being paid to alternative phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) sources. This glasshouse study, conducted under non-leaching conditions was undertaken to evaluate the S supplying capacity of gypsum, S bentonite, elemental S (ES) and a range of P containing fertilizers and those where ES was added as a coating or incorporated. The magnitude of crop response in terms of shoot biomass to applied S fertilizer sources followed the order of sulfates > powdered ES > coated/incorporated ES > S/bentonite. These results indicate that fertilizers containing a mixture of sulfate and micronized ES (<75 µm), either incorporated within the granule or coated onto the fertilizer are agronomically effective. The results also suggest that local S coating of finished fertilizers is a feasible alternative to S incorporation undertaken at a central fertilizer plant. |
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| Keywords: | Elemental sulfur fertilizer gypsum nutrient availability sulfate sulfur |
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