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Improving organic C and N in a sulphur-deficient soil with S fertilization

A field experiment was conducted over nine years (1999 to 2007 growing seasons) in northeastern Saskatchewan on a S-deficient Gray Luvisol (Typic Haplocryalf) soil to determine the relative effectiveness of N alone versus combined annual application of N (120 kg N ha -1 ) and S (15 kg S ha -1 ) fertilizers to wheat-canola rotation on storage of total organic C [TOC and N (TON), and light fraction organic C (LFOC) and N (LFON)] in soil. Compared to N alone, annual applications of S fertilizer in spring in a combination with N resulted in an increase of TOC (by 2.18 Mg C ha -1 ), TON (by 0.138 Mg N ha -1 ), LFOC (by 1018 kg C ha -1 ) and LFON (by 42 kg N ha -1 ) mass in soil. The relative increases in organic C or N due to S fertilizer application were much higher for light organic fractions (36.9% for LFOC and 27.5% for LFON) than for total organic fractions (9.2% for TOC and 7.3% for TON). The findings suggest the importance of balanced/combined application of N and S fertilizers to crops in storing more organic C and N in S-deficient soil, but further research is needed on a number of S-deficient sites. Rationale and Objective Sustainability of agricultural production is linked to soil quality, which in turn is influenced by soil organic matter (SOM) or carbon (SOC). Fertilization is one of the major and direct agronomic practices that can increase SOC by alleviating nutrient deficiencies in crops. In most long-term experiments, application of fertilizer nutrients was limited to nitrogen (N), N and phosphorus (P) and/or N, P and potassium (K). Long-term combined annual applications of N and sulphur (S) fertilizers to native grass forage grown on S-deficient soil in northern Saskatchewan substantially increased forage yield and SOC compared to N alone (zero-S control treatment). However, the information is lacking on the effects of S fertilization to annual crops on soil organic C and N, especially in the Parkland region, where many Gray and Dark Gray soils are deficient in available S for optimum crop yield, especially for Brassica oilseeds. The objective of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of N alone versus combined annual applications of N (120 kg N ha -1 ) and S (15 S ha -1 ) fertilizers to wheat-canola rotation on storage of total organic C [TOC and N (TON), and light fraction organic C (LFOC) and N (LFON)] in the surface soil on a S-deficient Gray Luvisol in northeastern Saskatchewan.