A glasshouse evaluation of sulfur fertilizer sources for crops and pastures. I. Flooded and non-flooded rice

Abstract

In pot experiments using flooded and non-flooded soil, rice cv. IR-43 was given gypsum (G), elemental S (E), urea-S melt (US), sulfur-coated urea (SCU), S-coated triple superphosphate (HF), S-bentonite (SB) and 3 S-coated triple superphosphate products in which the adhesives were UNE1, UNE2 and UNE3. A 2nd rice crop was grown in the same pots with basal nutrients applied at the same rate as for the 1st crop but without S. Highest grain yields in the 1st crop were obtained with G, UNE1 and UNE3 under flooded conditions, and G, UNE1, UNE3, SCU and E under non-flooded conditions. Fertilizer S uptake was highest from G under flooded conditions and uptake was higher with UNE1 and UNE3 than E. Yield and fertilizer S uptake in the 2nd crop were generally inversely related to those in the 1st crop.