Agri-Growth Research, Inc., Hollandale, MN, pp. Agri-Growth Research, Inc., Hollandale, MN, pp. With nitrogen deficiency , the lower leaves turn yellow and die as nitrogen is redistributed to newer leaves, while the lower leaves on sulfur-deficient plants remain a pale green. This is because the form of sulfur that is used by the plants is the sulfate ion.
Sulfate is very soluble in water and leaches easily - especially in sandy soil.
When soil microbes decompose this organic matter, the sulfur is released. In areas of fields with high levels of organic matter such as chaff rows from previous crops. Once jointing occurs, the yield potential is already determined and application of sulfur will not be beneficial. 1993 had been an especially wet year causing more sulfur leaching than normal. In the chaff rows, the higher residue levels tied up more of the remaining sulfur than did the areas of the field with less organic matter.