Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur Nutrition

The granules of conventional fertilizers have been enriched recently with 2% elemental sulfur (S0) via a binding material of organic nature and such fertilizers are suitable for large scale agriculture. In a previous work, we demonstrated that a durum wheat crop that received the enriched fertilizat...

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Main Authors: Dimitris L. Bouranis, Styliani N. Chorianopoulou, Miltiadis Margetis, Georgios I. Saridis, Petros P. Sigalas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-02-01
Series:Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/8/2/20
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author Dimitris L. Bouranis
Styliani N. Chorianopoulou
Miltiadis Margetis
Georgios I. Saridis
Petros P. Sigalas
author_facet Dimitris L. Bouranis
Styliani N. Chorianopoulou
Miltiadis Margetis
Georgios I. Saridis
Petros P. Sigalas
author_sort Dimitris L. Bouranis
collection DOAJ
description The granules of conventional fertilizers have been enriched recently with 2% elemental sulfur (S0) via a binding material of organic nature and such fertilizers are suitable for large scale agriculture. In a previous work, we demonstrated that a durum wheat crop that received the enriched fertilization scheme (FBS0-crop) accumulated a higher amount of Fe compared to the durum wheat crop fertilized by the corresponding conventional fertilization scheme (F-crop). In this study, we investigated the effect of S0 on the contingent mobilization of iron from the iron pools of the calcareous field that affiliated the durum wheat crop and the corresponding effect on the crop’s iron nutrition and sulfur nutrition. A sequential extraction of Fe from root zone soil (rhizosoil) was applied and the fluctuations of these fractions during crop development were monitored. The fertilization with FBS0 at sowing affected the iron fractions of the rhizosoil towards iron mobilization, thus providing more iron to the crop, which apart from the iron nutrition fortified the crop’s sulfur nutrition, too. No iron was found as iron attached to carbonates of the rhizosoil. Fluctuations of the iron pool, bound or adsorbed to the organic matter, were exactly the opposite to those of the iron pool associated with the clay particles in both treatments, suggesting iron exchange between the two pools. Replenishment of the F-crop’s Fe content and a deficit in the FBS0-crop’s Fe content in the rhizosoil were found at the end of the cultivation period. Furthermore, the initiation of the fast stem elongation stage (day 125) constituted a turning point. Before day 125, the use of FBS0 increased the iron concentration in the main stems and this was an early fortification effect, followed by an increase in the organic S concentration. Following day 125, the FBS0-crop consisted of plants with higher main stems and less tillers. A late fortification effect was observed in the iron concentration of the main stems and their heads after the stage of complete flowering. Prior to harvesting in the FBS0-crop, all plant parts were heavier, with more iron and organic sulfur accumulated in these plant parts, and the obtained commercial yield of the FBS0-crop was higher by 27.3%.
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spelling doaj.art-2ed759f6c1a94f55a602f227babbcdb72022-12-21T18:57:06ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722018-02-01822010.3390/agriculture8020020agriculture8020020Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur NutritionDimitris L. Bouranis0Styliani N. Chorianopoulou1Miltiadis Margetis2Georgios I. Saridis3Petros P. Sigalas4Plant Physiology Laboratory, Crop Science Department, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, GreecePlant Physiology Laboratory, Crop Science Department, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, GreecePlant Physiology Laboratory, Crop Science Department, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, GreeceBotanical Institute, Cologne Biocenter, University of Cologne, D–50674 Cologne, GermanyPlant Physiology Laboratory, Crop Science Department, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, GreeceThe granules of conventional fertilizers have been enriched recently with 2% elemental sulfur (S0) via a binding material of organic nature and such fertilizers are suitable for large scale agriculture. In a previous work, we demonstrated that a durum wheat crop that received the enriched fertilization scheme (FBS0-crop) accumulated a higher amount of Fe compared to the durum wheat crop fertilized by the corresponding conventional fertilization scheme (F-crop). In this study, we investigated the effect of S0 on the contingent mobilization of iron from the iron pools of the calcareous field that affiliated the durum wheat crop and the corresponding effect on the crop’s iron nutrition and sulfur nutrition. A sequential extraction of Fe from root zone soil (rhizosoil) was applied and the fluctuations of these fractions during crop development were monitored. The fertilization with FBS0 at sowing affected the iron fractions of the rhizosoil towards iron mobilization, thus providing more iron to the crop, which apart from the iron nutrition fortified the crop’s sulfur nutrition, too. No iron was found as iron attached to carbonates of the rhizosoil. Fluctuations of the iron pool, bound or adsorbed to the organic matter, were exactly the opposite to those of the iron pool associated with the clay particles in both treatments, suggesting iron exchange between the two pools. Replenishment of the F-crop’s Fe content and a deficit in the FBS0-crop’s Fe content in the rhizosoil were found at the end of the cultivation period. Furthermore, the initiation of the fast stem elongation stage (day 125) constituted a turning point. Before day 125, the use of FBS0 increased the iron concentration in the main stems and this was an early fortification effect, followed by an increase in the organic S concentration. Following day 125, the FBS0-crop consisted of plants with higher main stems and less tillers. A late fortification effect was observed in the iron concentration of the main stems and their heads after the stage of complete flowering. Prior to harvesting in the FBS0-crop, all plant parts were heavier, with more iron and organic sulfur accumulated in these plant parts, and the obtained commercial yield of the FBS0-crop was higher by 27.3%.http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/8/2/20iron dynamicssulfursulfatedurum wheat cropcalcareous soilelemental sulfurenriched fertilizerrhizosoil iron fractions
spellingShingle Dimitris L. Bouranis
Styliani N. Chorianopoulou
Miltiadis Margetis
Georgios I. Saridis
Petros P. Sigalas
Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur Nutrition
Agriculture
iron dynamics
sulfur
sulfate
durum wheat crop
calcareous soil
elemental sulfur
enriched fertilizer
rhizosoil iron fractions
title Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur Nutrition
title_full Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur Nutrition
title_fullStr Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur Nutrition
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur Nutrition
title_short Effect of Elemental Sulfur as Fertilizer Ingredient on the Mobilization of Iron from the Iron Pools of a Calcareous Soil Cultivated with Durum Wheat and the Crop’s Iron and Sulfur Nutrition
title_sort effect of elemental sulfur as fertilizer ingredient on the mobilization of iron from the iron pools of a calcareous soil cultivated with durum wheat and the crop s iron and sulfur nutrition
topic iron dynamics
sulfur
sulfate
durum wheat crop
calcareous soil
elemental sulfur
enriched fertilizer
rhizosoil iron fractions
url http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/8/2/20
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