Sidedressing with Sulfur

Side dressing is a fertilizer strategy that you can use to add in specific nutrients that your plants are deficient in or that need more of to grow well and to produce.  It’s a simple strategy and is most often used with nitrogen, but sulfur side dressing is becoming more popular as many farmers realize their crops are deficient in this secondary nutrient. 

Sulfur is a secondary nutrient, until your plants are deficient.  This is when it becomes important and can be added like a primary nutrient.  One big reason to side dress with sulfur is that because a deficiency in this nutrient will reduce a plant’s ability to take up the primary nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

For growers who have yet to finalize their side dress needs, adding AMS (21-0-0-24S) to the Urea application is a good bet.  The highly soluble AMS blends well with Urea, making it cost and time effective to side dress these nutrients in one application.  Blending AMS with the Urea at a rate of 25lb./ac. Of sulfur (100 lbs. or more of 21-00-24S ammonium sulfate) will give corn the S boost It needs.

As the window for nutrient application closes for the year, talk to your SFG agronomist to discuss the best options for your corn crop.