Effects of low‐molecular‐weight organic compounds on sulphur immobilization and re‐mineralization and extraction of immobilized sulphur by hot‐water and acid hydrolysis

We examined the effects of salicylate, glutamate and glucose on sulphur (S) immobilization and re‐mineralization in three calcareous soils: from arable, fallow and forest managements. Each of the three substrates, at a single rate of carbon (1000 mg C kg^?1 soil) was added to the three soils and then incubated with NaSO₄ plus Na₂SO₄ for 1, 2, 6 or 12 weeks prior to analysis. The extraction of the immobilized S was performed with either hot water (HW‐S) or 3 m hydrochloric acid (HCl‐S). Except for the forest soil, the average amounts of immobilized S increased in the order control < salicylate < glutamate < glucose. Across all soils, substrate addition significantly decreased the average value of HCl‐S expressed as a percentage of immobilized S compared with that of the control. The decreases in HCl‐S (58 ? 100%) were substrate‐ and time‐independent, suggesting a heterogeneous action of HCl. In contrast, except for the forest soil, we found substantial declines in the average percentage values of HW‐S (21 ? 75% of the immobilized S) in the order control > salicylate > glutamate = glucose, suggesting that the hot‐water action was substrate dependent. In addition, the proportion of HW‐S decreased with increasing incubation time, indicating that the youngest immobilized S was the most labile. Thus, hot water extracted more homogeneous S compounds than HCl. Sulphur immobilization induced by glutamate and glucose produced more recalcitrant S products (small quantities of ³⁵S re‐mineralization) than that induced by salicylate. Glutamate tended to generate more recalcitrant S compounds than glucose. Hot‐water extractable S was a valuable and rapid indicator of readily labile organic S. Consequent microbial S immobilization resulting from glucose or glutamate addition was followed by a small rate of re‐mineralization of immobilized S.