Influence of sulfur and iron fertilization on nutrient utilization by plants

The aim of the three-year pot experiment was to determine the effect of standard mineral fertilization enriched with sulfur and iron on the content of nitrogen and sulfur in plants and on nutrient utilization by plants. Abundance of sulfates in soil after sulfur fertilization was also assessed. The direct effect of fertilization was assessed during the first and second year of the pot experiment, and the after-effect was analyzed during the third year. Rape (first year) and maize (second and third year) were the test plants. Solid mineral fertilizers (A: a mixture of ammonium nitrate and dolomite; B: a mixture of ammonium nitrate and sulfate) enriched with iron sulfate were used. Nitrogen content in the plants varied depending on applied fertilization as well on plant species and part. Sulfur application increased sulfur content in the aboveground parts of plants by 25-457% and in roots by 95-708%. Iron application ambiguously influenced nitrogen and sulfur content in the plants. Hovewer, simultaneous application of iron and sulfur (as fertilizer B enriched with iron) resulted in the highest coefficient of nitrogen (84%) and sulfur (39%) utilization. Sulfur fertilization caused a 5-20 fold increase in sulfate sulfur content in the soil.