Fertilization impact on sulphur translocation and bioaccumulation from soil to triticale (X Triticosecale W.) shoot and grain

Background/Question/Methods

With increasing use of low sulphur fuels, and of enhanced emission and PK-fertilizer controls, there has been a dramatic reduction in the soil of sulphur. This change has had an important impact on plant nutrition, since triticale has become increasingly dependent on soil to supply the sulphur it needs for the synthesis of proteins and a number of essential vitamins and cofactors. Triticale is important worldwide, but limited research exists about the effects of soil S-change on this crop. In our study, triticale S-translocation (S-ATI), biomass production (BP) and S-bioaccumulation (S-BA) were examined in a Fertilization Trial (FT) at Nyírlugos-Hungary in 2006. The FT was set up on a sandy, acidic lessivated brown forest soil (WRB: Haplic Luvisol) to test N, P, K, Ca and Mg nutrient effects on crop yield in 1962. Soil had the following agrochemical properties: pH (H2O) 5.9, pH (KCl) 4.7, hydrolytic acidity 8.4, hy1 0.3, humus 0.7%, total N 34 mg kg-1, ammonlactate (AL) soluble-P2O5  43 mg kg-1, AL-K2O 60 mg kg-1 in the plough (0-25 cm) layer. The experiment consisted of 32x4=128 plots in randomised block design. The gross plot size was 10x5=50 m2. The average fertiliser rates in kg ha-1 year-1 were nitrogen 75, phosphorus 90 (P2O5), potassium 90 (K2O), calcium 437.5 (CaCO3) and magnesium 140 (MgCO3). S-Actual Translocation Index (S-ATI = plant metal c./soil metal c.) had been determined by Márton (2004).

Results/Conclusions

N-fertilization alone strongly decreased S-ATI from soil to shoot (31%), and to grain (34%). Phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium had no impact on S-ATI. S-ATI grain was higher than S-ATI shoot, generally. BP depended significantly on nutrient treatments, and was higher at N100P120K120Ca200Mg80 (kg ha-1) combinations (440 g m2). S-bioaccumulation dropped 78% with N-fertilization. S-BA reached higher values 531 mg m2, 642 mg m2, and 755 mg m2 at N100P120K120Mg80 (kg ha-1), N100P120K120Ca200Mg80 (kg ha-1), and N100P120K120Ca400 (kg ha-1) plots. Our results demonstrated that triticale has greatest S-BA ability to grain than to shoot. So, S can be entered to the Food Chain (FC) as a basic essential element in the field. Furthermore, Healthy Food Production (HFP) needs to continue S-researches for securing the Human Health (HH) in the future.