Corn Response to Sulfur in the Red River Valley

Abstract

Sulfur (S) deficiency symptoms are becoming common to crops grown in the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota. Corn (Zea mays L.) response to incremental sulfate-S (0, 11, 22, 33, and 44 kg S ha-1) was studied (n=12) during the 2018-2020 growing seasons in a series of experiments. Corn yield and S uptake did not respond to S fertilizer (P≥0.05) additions, but yield varied across sites. Ten out of 12 sites showed an increase in grain yield over control but not significant. Corn, spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) responses to S forms were also studied. Only spring wheat showed a significant (P≤0.05) response to S forms. Growers should follow the current recommendation to apply 11 kg S ha-1 to compensate for the grain S removal and avoid grain yield loss to S in susceptible areas of fields.