Is to much Sulphur possible?

[warksfarmer]

Fertiliser splits this year are going to be different due to the state of the crops. At the moment for milling wheat I am doing 4 applications or possibly 5 of a liquid N and then will do a protein top up late on if the potential is there.

Is this a crazy idea to use 1 x 4 of NS60 at 210l/ha each pass or 1 x 5 of NS60 at 170l/ha.

Total N would be 220kg/ha which I would normally do but total SO3 would be 124kg/ha which I would NOT normally do.

It just seems like a very simple idea thats all so any feedback would be good. I can obviously alter the rates for each pass but the idea of using one product all season looks good. Just to add I have no applied and SO3 in fert form for 3 years and instead have used gypsum as my sulphur. This year no gypsum has gone on due to wet weather so I do need some so3 in the fert.

 

[Clive]

bit high on S really - perceived wisdom seems to suggest 2:1 N:S ratio

don't think you will do any harm but its a bit of a waste of cash as soil wont store S for very long

 

[JCA]

Contractor put 250kg/ha sulpher on a field of wheat one year by mistake. Made no noticable difference to wheat.

 

[franklin]

5t/ha of gypsum puts loads of sulphur on and causes us no problems.

 

[Clive]

5t/ha of gypsum puts loads of sulphur on and causes us no problems.

actually lee that is a good point - if you have used Gypsum you already have applied a lot of S

 

[Great In Grass]

The big downside of the excessive use of sulphur in any food or feed crop is that it can drastically reduce plant uptake of another vital nutrient - selenium. It is particularly important to know this if the crop is to be used to feed your own stock! A very comprehensive soil analysis would be a very good starting point.

 

[Oilseed]

On our farm I have only ever seen sulphur deficiency on light land over gravel this was about 5 years ago before we routinlely used sulphur. If you are on light shallow soil I would say it is a sensible amount given the wet winter. If you are on a heavy deep soil I would say way too much.
Sulphur acidifies the land so do not want to use more than necessary.

 

[Great In Grass]

Shamefully cut & pasted from one of my suppliers web site;

"It is true that with some crops, such as oilseed rape, there is a yield gain to be had from applying sulphur and it is true that milling wheat needs sufficient sulphur to achieve the correct dough elasticity (rheology). It is also true, however, that correct overall mineral balance will achieve a much better yield improvement, thereby proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

 

[marco]

we need york over here.

 

[TWF]

I think you're safe because your no way near "Yorks" rates on a high Ca soil.

 

[John Slejpner]

Agree with TWF. Nowhere near a problem.

 

[Rural Rob]

Heavy dolops of S on osr........guess what running into acidity problems in sugar beet. only grown rape for 6 years but been farming the land for 19 years with no problems. Makes you wonder

 

[warksfarmer]

actually lee that is a good point - if you have used Gypsum you already have applied a lot of S

I have applied 2.4t/ha in 2009 and again in 2011 and then no sulphur since.

 

[John Slejpner]

We should remember that as soon as a sulphate salt such as gypsum, ( or keiserite, or potassium sulphate or ammonium sulphate etc ) is in solution.... the sulphate ion is free to move and will drain out quite fast, if not very fast this year.
Given this seasons rainfall i would wonder how much sulphate is left from a gypsum application august 12 never mind one in august 11

 

[warksfarmer]

Good point John. So 120kg/ha So3 to much then? because the savings of moving to a N37 or similar are very minimal for the last 2 applications and means a phaff around with tanks as I only have one fert tank.

 

[franklin]

We should remember that as soon as a sulphate salt such as gypsum, ( or keiserite, or potassium sulphate or ammonium sulphate etc ) is in solution.... the sulphate ion is free to move and will drain out quite fast, if not very fast this year.
Given this seasons rainfall i would wonder how much sulphate is left from a gypsum application august 12 never mind one in august 11

Sod all. 2t/ac of gypsum 2 years ago. Thats a lot of SO4. Soils sampled in September and very little available sulphur. That land also had half a ton per ha of AnS for part of the previous crop (winter barley). So lots of So4 applied. Good as none left. Certainly not enough for a crop of rape.

 

[TWF]

Heavy dolops of S on osr........guess what running into acidity problems in sugar beet. only grown rape for 6 years but been farming the land for 19 years with no problems. Makes you wonder

Note I was talking in a Hi Ca. situation ,because the S. in solution is going to leach out the Ca. with it and is what some of us want, if we have an access of Ca locking everything up.

 

[John Slejpner]

Good point John. So 120kg/ha So3 to much then? because the savings of moving to a N37 or similar are very minimal for the last 2 applications and means a phaff around with tanks as I only have one fert tank.

No its not too much.. its about 50kg/ha elemental S equivalent... heavy soil (especially if high in phosphate) needs this at least

 

[John Slejpner]

Sod all. 2t/ac of gypsum 2 years ago. Thats a lot of SO4. Soils sampled in September and very little available sulphur. That land also had half a ton per ha of AnS for part of the previous crop (winter barley). So lots of So4 applied. Good as none left. Certainly not enough for a crop of rape.

Quite Static, thank you.
The take-home point is whether you put on 50 or 2000kg/ha of a sulphate salt, once that product is in solution then the spare sulphate ions will move out with water.
Not just "because of water", but "with" the water.