New sulphur test more accurate and simple
New sulphur test more accurate and simple
31 October, 2007
A new sulphur soil test developed by AgResearch gives farmers a highly accurate picture of how much sulphur fertiliser their soil needs and makes scientific analysis easier.
“Sulphur is one of the more important major elements required for plant growth and deficiency causes yellowing of leaves and poor pasture growth,” says developer Dr Gordon Rajendram who devised the test as part of a PhD project.
Promoted by Ballance Agri-Nutrients, the Total Sulphur (TS) test will eventually replace two traditional soil tests that separately measure easily extractable organic sulphur (EOS) and sulphate-S (SO4). Currently, the TS test – which indicates the annual sulphur supplying capacity of soil – is being used in conjunction with the sulphate-S test that measures the sulphur immediately available for plant uptake.
“The new test overcomes many of the shortfalls of the current sulphur tests and will give the farmers more confidence when determining the sulphur status of their farms,” says Gordon who is based in Hamilton at AgResearch Ruakura.
“The two tests are measured using different instruments and EOS is calculated via a difference technique. This leads to technical difficulties in the laboratory. TS can be determined using a single instrument, thus minimising errors and making it easier to analyse in the laboratory - reducing analysis costs.”
AgResearch Senior Scientist Dr Anwar Ghani, also based at Ruakura, is project manager of TS test and says it is more robust than either of the traditional tests - giving more reliable results.
“It is less influenced by the effects of leaching, urine spots and recent fertiliser inputs than the sulphate-S test, so is capable of giving a much more accurate indication of whether or not sulphur fertiliser is required, and the likely pasture response.”
It has taken about four years to develop the test and get it to market, including about two years of input from AgResearch Ruakura Business Development Manager Kevin Benge. He says AgResearch is keen to see more farmers getting access to this new improved sulphur test and using it to maximise pasture production on farms.
• The TS test can be completed in
three to four days and is being carried out by Hill
Laboratories in Hamilton: phone 07-858-2000 or email
mail@hill-labs.co.nz
•
ends