Sulphate Sulphur v’s Elemental Sulphur
- If you apply fertiliser at the time of planting of spring-seeded crops, SO4 fertilisers usually give better results. This is especially true if conditions are such that So oxidation rates are depressed in cool temperatures or in excessive moisture.
- In starter or row fertilisers, SO4 forms of Sulphur generally give better results.
- If you apply fertiliser in the fall for spring-seeded crops, differences between So and SO4 sources become less likely and elemental sulfur sources usually have better residual effects.
Elemental sulfur sources are highly acidifying and this can benefit your crops under alkaline soil conditions, but also hurt them under acid conditions. Sulfate sources can be either slightly acidifying or neutral in reaction. Ammonium sulfate is an acid-forming material, whereas potassium sulfate, calcium sulfate & magnesium sulphate are neutral materials and don’t affect soil pH.
Pacific Fertiliser’s Sulphur Bentonite is a granulated elemental sulphur coated in bentonite clay. It is ideal for use in pasture maintenance programs where it can build up a sulphur bank in the soil and release it over time as the pasture grows. In established pastures, having sulphate sulphur available immediately is not necessarily the highest priority in the following applications where the sustained release characteristics of Sulphur Bentonite offer a distinct advantage over sulphate sulphur.
- in heavily leached soils in high rainfall situations,
- in course-textured soils, or
- in situations where fertiliser is applied on a 2-3 yearly basis rather than more regularly
If you are after sulphate sulphur we can supply this in many forms like SOA, SOP, Gypsum and Magnesium sulphate etc
