Screening of four soils of Mato Grosso do Sul for sulfur and micronutrient deficiencies

Abstract

Three oxisols units from Mato Grosso do Sul (Allic "Roxo" Latosol scrubland phase, Allic Dark Red Latosol scrubland phase, Dystrophic Dark Red Latosol "Cerrado" phase) and one entisol (Dystrophyc Quartzic Sand) were screened for deficiencies of sulfur, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc and the mixture of all these micronutrients, using perennial soybean (Neotononia wightii IRI 1394) as the test plant. An omission experiment was used in this study which was carried out under greenhouse conditions. Iron and manganese deficiencies were tested only in Quartzic Sand. Sulfur omission limited dry matter yields of perennial soybean in all soils except in "Roxo" Latosol. Among the micronutrients studied, only boron and molybdenum were found to be deficient in Quartzic Sand. In all soils and under the experiment conditions, the omission of any other micronutrient did not affect the dry matter yield of perennial soybean. Soluble copper and zinc levels in the soil as low as 0.7 and 0.9 ppm, respectively, were not associated with any decrease in dry matter yields.