Sulphur and Nitrogen Fertilization as a Potential Means of Agronomic Biofortification to Improve the Content and Uptake of Microelements in Spring Wheat Grain DM

Hanna Klikocka,Marek Marks

doi:10.1155/2018/9326820

Abstract

The aim of the field experiment was to analyze the impact of various nitrogen and sulphur doses on the content and uptake of spring grains of iron, manganese, copper, and zinc. The study was conducted in southeastern Poland (2009–2011) on Cambisols (WRB 2007), in conditions of low soil sulphur content. The experiment included 4 doses of N fertilization (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg/ha) and 2 doses of S application (0 and 50 kg/ha). The analysis showed that fertilization with nitrogen and sulphur had a positive effect on the studied features of spring wheat. The combination resulted in beneficial content of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu (Fe 45.00, Mn 35.67, Zn 34.63, and Cu 3.65 mg/kg) and beneficial uptake of microelements by grain DM (Fe 216.1, Mn 171.3, Zn 166.4, and Cu 17.52 g/ha). The highest grain yield (5.43 t/ha) was obtained after the application of nitrogen at a dose of 80 kg/ha and sulphur at a dose of 50 kg/ha. In relation to control, this increase of grain yield amounted to 13.3%. Significant correlations were also found between grain yield and the content and uptake of all microelements, as well as between elements. No significant correlation was found only between the content and uptake of Fe and the content of Mn and between the content of Mn and Cu. Sulphur supplementation of NPK fertilization can be a good means of agronomic biofortification for spring wheat in order to increase the content and uptake of micronutrients such as Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu.

Highlights

At the present time, cereals became the basis of human nutrition and possible source to maintain and improve health
Medium natural content (II) was shown for 10 profiles and high natural content (III) for 6 profiles. e level of sulphate sulphur was within the range referred to as anthropogenically elevated (IV) only in two samples. ere has been a perceptible drop in the mean sulphur content over the years, from 1.38 to 1.00 mg S-SO4/100 g, respectively, in 1995 and 2015 [6]. is phenomenon may cause a deficit for sensitive crops
Based on the presented research and the literature, it can be said that sulphur fertilization should be applied on arable soils in the analyzed region. e experiment showed that presowing application of sulphur in the amount of 40 kg/ha in the form of granular kieserite and top dressing with magnesium sulphate hepatahydrate (10 kg S/ha) in combination with nitrogen fertilizer in the rate of 80 kg/ha is sufficient to achieve optimal grain yield

Summary

Introduction

Cereals became the basis of human nutrition and possible source to maintain and improve health. According to the food pyramid proposed by the National Food and Nutrition Institute, low-processed products of grain and seeds from cereal are at the base of the pyramid and should be consumed as the most important source of nutrients in the human diet. In Polish soils in 2015, low content (I) of sulphate sulphur was found in 198 monitoring points (91.7% of all profiles), which was a similar result to that observed in 2010. Is phenomenon may cause a deficit for sensitive crops. It may affect the disturbance in effectiveness of NPK applied in the fertilizers, especially in nitrogen metabolism [4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion