Study: Sulfur Amendments Might Boost Tomato Yields

[chris09]

Study: Sulfur Amendments Might Boost Tomato Yields
University of Florida researchers find that adding element to the soil can pay off.
October 16, 2012

Florida tomato farmers may increase their yields by adding sulfur to their soil before planting, according to a University of Florida study published in the current issue of the journal HortTechnology.

Adding 25 pounds of elemental sulfur per acre boosted yields by 1.7 tons per acre in the study, said Bielinski Santos, a UF/IFAS associate professor and part of the research team responsible for the paper.

Sulfur is an important major nutrient and one of the ways it reaches agricultural fields is via atmospheric deposition. However, in recent years the amount of sulfur in the atmosphere has declined, due to tougher clean-air standards. So some farmland may not have the same sulfur content it once did.

Growers should be aware that sulfur-related deficiencies are now more common than a few years ago in vegetables and small fruit crops, said Santos, who is based at UFs Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm.

There are no field tests available for soil sulfur content, Santos said. So he recommends adding a sulfur amendment to soil once each year.

In the study, scientists grew tomatoes on sandy soil at the Balm center. Treatments were set up using sulfur amendments ranging from 25 pounds to 200 pounds per acre. The results showed that soil amended with 25 pounds per acre yielded 1.7 tons more marketable fruit per acre, compared to a control plot with no sulfur amendment.

Adding more sulfur had little additional benefit, Santos said. The 25 pounds per acre falls within UF/IFAS recommendations for Florida vegetable production.

Santos said that possible sulfur sources include gypsum, elemental sulfur and sulfate-based fertilizer.

He added that a UF/IFAS research team has conducted similar experiments with strawberries and found similar results. That study will be published in the coming months.

Source: UF/IFAS
http://www.growingproduce.com/article/31386/study-sulfur-amendments-might-boost-tomato-yields

 

[digitS']

Thanks Chris! Interesting that there are no soil tests for sulfur.

After Mt. St. Helens erupted quite a few years ago, agricultural production went up. The sulfur in the volcanic ash was credited for this.

43,560 square feet per acre

25 pounds sulfur per acre

That's only about 1/2 pound per average family garden of 1,000 square feet. Just a sprinkle . . . .


Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Thanks Chris, I will definitely look for some. I like the fact that it also seems to work with strawberries. My patch is so small that any help would be great. I just love you guys for doing all the research for me and finding stuff out.

Mary

 

[897tgigvib]

Still, be careful using too much Sulfur. Acidic soil does stunt tomato plants. If the Azalea does well, the Tomato plant will be slow growing.
If an African Violet does well, the Tomato plant will be severely dwarfed and unhealthy.

 

[Dave2000]

My pepper plants respond well to a few doses of magnesium sulfate., though my primary intention is to give them more magnesium.

 

[paulpruiett]

Our Florida Sandy soil typically contains abundant crushed sea shells. This usually gives an alkaline Ph of 7.5 or greater. Extension agents have recommended 1.2 oz of sulfur per sq. yd. to lower the soil Ph by 1 unit in sandy soil. I found this could only be done on calm days as the powdery sulfur easily blew away in even a calm breeze. Today I spaded my garden, sprinkled the recommended amount of sulfur on the area then raked the sulfur in while leveling the soil.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Our Florida Sandy soil typically contains abundant crushed sea shells. This usually gives an alkaline Ph of 7.5 or greater. Extension agents have recommended 1.2 oz of sulfur per sq. yd. to lower the soil Ph by 1 unit in sandy soil. I found this could only be done on calm days as the powdery sulfur easily blew away in even a calm breeze. Today I spaded my garden, sprinkled the recommended amount of sulfur on the area then raked the sulfur in while leveling the soil.

Hi Paul and welcome to the forums. I'm wondering if the sulfur is available in a granular consistency. I use agricultural sulfur to dust my boots and socks when I hike to keep ticks and chiggers at bay. I have a tube sock full of the yellow powder that is tied off at the top and use it as a duster. But the powder is like flour and if I try to use it for insect control on plants it usually ends up everywhere but where I want it on breezy days.

 

[seedcorn]

Another product that is fantastic for tomatoes on sandy soils is "Black label Zinc". Its a slurry made from the soil found in coal mines before it is turned into coal. It's the layer between top soil and coal. High in usable carbons and zinc. Sulfur is probably high since it is good in higher organic soils. Agree with article as we're having to apply sulfur to our soils to get crops to yield closer to their potential.