Can Micronized Sulfur in Urea Reduce Ammoniacal Nitrogen Volatilization and Improve Maize Grain Yield?

• Published in: Journal of soil science and plant nutrition Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 701 - 711
• Main Authors: Crusciol, Carlos Alexandre Costa, Almeida, Danilo Silva, Alves, Cleiton José, Soratto, Rogério Peres, Krebsky, Evelin Oliveira, Spolidorio, Eduardo Scarpari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-12-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Ammonia; Ammonium; Ammonium nitrate; Ammonium sulfate; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Corn; Crop yield; Ecology; Environment; Fertilizers; Field tests; Leaves; Life Sciences; Nitrates; Nitrogen; Oil refineries; Petroleum refineries; Plant nutrition; Plant Sciences; Potassium; Refineries; Research Article; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil texture; Sulfates; Sulfur; Urea; Ureas; Vaporization; Volatilization; Zea mays; Brazil; Ammonia; No-till; Nitrogen sources; Alternative sulfur source
• ISSN: 0718-9508; 0718-9516
• DOI: 10.1007/s42729-019-00070-7

Micronized sulfur (S) in urea may reduce nitrogen (N) loss by ammoniacal N (NH
3
–N) volatilization and provide a better use for S from oil refineries, thereby improving plant nutrition by providing N and S. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of urea micronized with S (urea+S) to mitigate NH
3
–N volatilization and the efficiency of the urea+S as source of N and S for maize (
Zea mays
L.). Three field experiments were implemented, with maize grown in coarse-, medium-, and fine-textured soils and the following treatments: urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, urea+S enhanced with 13% elemental S (urea+S
A
), urea+S with 4% elemental S and 9% S in sulfate form (urea+S
B
), and a control without N application. The leaf N concentrations increased similarly for all the N sources. The leaf S concentrations were greater when the ammonium sulfate and urea+S were applied. The use of micronized S does not decrease the NH
3
–N volatilization from urea side-dress applied to maize. However, in comparison with ammonium sulfate, the urea+S are a viable alternative for supplying N and S to maize because of their greater operational efficiencies and due to their high N concentrations.