Study on the effect of sulphur, glucose, nitrogen and plant residues on the immobilization of sulphate-S in soil.

In order to evaluate the relationship between sulphur (S), glucose (G), nitrogen (N) and plant residues (st), on sulphur immobilization and microbial transformation. Five soil samples from 0-30 cm of Bastam farmer's fields of Shahrood area were collected. Eleven treatments with different levels of S, G, N and plant residues (wheat straw) were applied in a randomized block design with three replications and incubated over 20, 45 and 60 days. The immobilization of SO4(-2)-S presented as a percentage of that added, was inversely related to its addition rate. Additions of glucose and plant residues increased with the C-to-S ratio of the added amendments, irrespective of their origins (glucose and plant residues). In the presence of C sources (glucose or plant residues). N significantly increased the immobilization of SO4(-2)-S, whilst the effect of N was insignificant in the absence of a C amendment. In first few days the amounts of added SO4(-2)-S immobilized were linearly correlated with the amounts of added S recovered in the soil microbial biomass. With further incubation the proportions of immobilized SO4(-2)-S remaining as biomass-S decreased. Decrease in biomass-S was thought to be due to the conversion ofbiomass-S into soil organic-S. Glucose addition increased the immobilization (microbial utilization and incorporation into the soil organic matter) of native soil SO4(-2)-S. However, N addition enhance the mineralization of soil organic-S, increasing the concentration of SO4(-2)-S in soil and the extent to which available-S can be immobilized is determined by both the amount of available-S and the availability of an utilizable C source.