effects of manure and sulfur on nutrients uptake by corn (zea mays l.)

in order to study the effects of different levels of cow and chicken manure and elemental sulfur (s) on availability of plant nutrients and their uptake by corn (zea mays l.), a factorial experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design and three replication. experimental treatments were three levels (0, 10 and 20 ton ha-1) of cow and chicken manures, and three levels (0, 0.25% and 0.5%) of s that were applied to a calcareous soil. soil ph and salinity, soil available phosphorous (p) and micronutrients (fe, zn, cu and mn), corn dry weight, corn uptake of micronutrients and concentrations of micronutrients in corn tissues were measured in different treatments. the results showed that the rates of applied manure had significant effects on soil properties and soil available p and micronutrients and soil salinity increased as the rates of applied manures increased. however soil ph was not affected by the rates of applied manures. the rates of applied s also had significant effects on ph and salinity of soil and plant available p and micronutrients. the soil salinity and pant available micronutrients increased but the soil ph decreased as the rates of applies s increased. the plant available p increased when the application rates of s was 0.25% but by increasing the rate of applied s to 0.5% the plant available p decreased significantly. the interactive effects of manure and s application rates were significant on corn dry weight and p uptake and these traits increased as the application rates of manures and s increased. in general, the results showed that use of manure and s simultaneously, was more effective than the separate application of them.