Waste resources based new sulfur fertilizers can better match crop nutrient requirement

Abstract

Efficient utilization of sulfur is a crucial strategy to address soil sulfur deficiency and low phosphorus availability in alkaline soil. However, existing sulfur fertilizers fail to meet these needs. In this study, polymeric sulfur (PS) and biological sulfur (BS) were developed from biogenic oil bases and H₂S in industrial emissions, respectively. Through soil incubation tests, pot experiments, and field trials, we found that sulfur oxidation rates of PS and BS reached 81 % and 89 % in 60 days respectively, which are 1.2–1.7 times compared to traditional elemental sulfur (ES) and micronized sulfur (MS). Compared to ES, BS and PS significantly enhanced maize aboveground S and P uptake by 18–37 % and 17–26 %. BS significantly increased maize yield by 10.6–11.9 % and improved economic benefits by 14.8–21.1 % compared to no sulfur. Only in China, 102 × 10⁶ tons BS can be developed from waste gas resources, which can match global sulfur requirements.