The Sulfur Cycle
Sulfur is considered one of the four macronutrients essential to crop production. Sulfur helps plants with protein synthesis, chlorophyll production, seed development, and the root absorption of nitrogen in legume crops. It can also help support greater plant growth, greater stress and disease resistance, and improved nitrogen use efficiency.
Inadequate supplies of sulfur will hinder plant growth and quality. A sufficient supply, on the other hand, will help you sustain high-yielding, quality crops. The interactive diagram below demonstrates the factors that affect sulfur throughout crop production including inputs to the soil, losses from the soil, and components in the soil.
A better understanding of the sulfur cycle will help you uncover how exactly it impacts crop productivity, plant growth, soil health, and nutrient efficiency throughout production. The sulfur cycle helps you understand the need for fertilization, how you can increase uptake and efficiency, and how you can optimize your fertilizer program.
Inputs to the Soil
There are various inputs that can deliver sulfur to your soil. Mineral fertilizers, plant residue, animal manure and biosolids, and atmospheric deposition are all common sulfur inputs. Click through the MORE buttons below to learn more.
Losses from the Soil
Sulfur is removed from the soil when crops remove nutrients at harvest and when wet weather conditions result in runoff or erosion. It can also be lost to leaching (sulfur is washed away), volatilization (loss to the air), and mineral formation. Click through each of the MORE buttons below to learn more about sulfur loss.
Components in the Soil
Sulfur is found in the soil in various forms including organic sulfur, sulfate (SO₋₄), and elemental sulfur. Atmospheric sulfur can also distribute sulfuric acid and sulfate into the soil through atmospheric deposition. Click through each of the MORE buttons below to learn more about sulfur in the soil.
