A boost to corn yields from sulfur (S) fertilization occurs “with high frequency” and “large magnitude,” Iowa State University (ISU) researchers John Sawyer, Brian Lang and Daniel Barker report in an online article, entitled “Evaluation of Corn Response to Sulfur Fertilization in Northeast Iowa.”

“Across the two years and three studies, 82% of the sites had a statistically significant yield increase to applied S fertilizer,” they write. “By study, statistically significant across-site yield increases averaged 15, 18, and 38 bu/acre. Analyzed across S rate, the economic optimum S rate was 14 lbs. S/acre for fine-textured soils and 24 lbs. S/acre for coarse-textured soils. This research indicates a dramatic change in need for S fertilization in northeast Iowa, and that S application is an economically viable fertilization practice on many soils.”

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