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Effect of Sulfur Content of Straws on Rates of Decomposition and Plant Growth¹

ABSTRACT

Sulfur deficiency must be considered in management of crop residues. With adequate N, P, and K, the decomposition rate of straw in soil low in sulfates depended on the S content of the straw. Incubation studies showed that unless S fertilizer is added, the S content of straw must exceed about 0.15% for a maximum rate of straw decomposition. Growth of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Wichita’), in the greenhouse, on a NPK-fertilized soil was governed by the S content of straw mixed in the soil. Straws with < 0.15% S added to soil depressed wheat growth, but straws with a higher S content increased yields compared to the no-straw treatment. When S was added along with N, P, and K, the S content of the straws had no effect on wheat growth.

¹ Contribution from the Northern Plains Branch, Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, ARS, USDA, in cooperation with Colorado Agr. Exp. Sta., Scientific Journal Series no. 1053. Presented before Div. S-4, Soil Science Society of America, Nov. 2, 1965, at Columbus, Ohio.

² Research Soil Scientists, USDA, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Received for publication October 29, 1965. Accepted for publication January 13, 1966.