[skfarmboy]

Tiger 90 was $360/tonne delivered to my yard this fall. We were aiming to broadcast 100 lbs/acres on our canola stubble. Should be good for 3 or 4 years.

 

[sasksodbuster]

So from what I understandIng elemental S is spread on the surface where it will start to break down and rain or snow melt will bring the sulfur to the root system. From what am reading it sounds like I would need at least 3 years before I could completely quit using ammonium sulphate and get to a system using about 30 lbs of tiger 90 a year or a hundred every 3 or 4 years.

 

[SouthernSK]

If you spread it this fall and get reasonable moisture on it before spring you should be fine. If you are worried put 10 or so lb of actual s through ammonium sulfate when seeding.

 

[K_melnyk]

We do potash with it also.

Do you incorporate the potash?

 

[402farmer]

Thanks for the insight guys. Thinking I dont want to spread and will put s15 on with a top up of ams to get my actual on for the year and maybe in 3 or 4 years cut out ams completely. To the guys putting s15 on one pass do you keep pumping the elemental on none canola years to keep the soil tests up? That's the nice thing of ams just put more the year you need more

 

[402farmer]

Also we never spread before and would have to hire, I'm not anti spread just trying to keep things simple and sounds like most guys in my area put elemental down with the drill around here

 

[SouthernSK]

402 if you put the elemental down with the drill then you would want to put some on every year. You can spread elemental with the spin spreaders the fertilizer dealers have. When ever you handle the elemental do not get any of the dust in your eyes. The sulfur when it touches water or moisture becomes sulfuric acid. It can burn your eyes like crazy when you are trying to go to sleep. If your eyes are burning when you head to bed the best thing to do is put a wet paper towel with a ice cub on top of your closed eye when you are laying in bed. It will allow you to get to sleep. If you get some on the hood of your coat make sure and wash it right away, if you continue to wear the coat you will develop a nasty rash on your neck that takes weeks to get rid of. We have spread lots of elemental and have learned a lot of things the hard way.

 

[sasksodbuster]

Sounds like fun stuff to handle.

 

[DDF]

Thanks for the insight guys. Thinking I dont want to spread and will put s15 on with a top up of ams to get my actual on for the year and maybe in 3 or 4 years cut out ams completely. To the guys putting s15 on one pass do you keep pumping the elemental on none canola years to keep the soil tests up? That's the nice thing of ams just put more the year you need more

No, we just use S15 with canola and do not apply sulfer in any other crop. Like has already been mentioned, s15 is only half elemental. I don’t even look at sulfer on soil tests, I don’t think it is reliable at all. I look at Agvises recommendations, but to monitor S levels in a field isn’t possible, at least not on our soil types.

 

[bjtjjl]

If using S15 I don’t see a need to top up with ams.
We do not incorporate the potash. It’s blended with tiger 90 and floated on.

 

[SouthernSK]

The cost of a lb of sulfur with elemental is about half compared to getting sulfur from AMS. The big plus is you do not have to deal with AMS which sometimes can be a real pain. AMS is also very bulky for the actual lb of N and S that you get out of it.

 

[bobofthenorth]

So from what I understandIng elemental S is spread on the surface where it will start to break down and rain or snow melt will bring the sulfur to the root system. From what am reading it sounds like I would need at least 3 years before I could completely quit using ammonium sulphate and get to a system using about 30 lbs of tiger 90 a year or a hundred every 3 or 4 years.

This is the A answer.

Get to a system where you can float on elemental S as far ahead of your canola as possible. So if you're on a 3 year rotation, put 100# of S on in the fall AFTER canola.

 

[sasksodbuster]

What would be the difference of availability of sulfur be between surface applied or deep banded? Looking at possibly banding elemental sulfur on my cereal rotation.

 

[bobofthenorth]

Looking at possibly banding elemental sulfur on my cereal rotation.

Your farm. Your decision. Your money. But in my opinion that is a mistake.

Here's some reading for you. That's just one Google search string. I don't think you'll find anything that supports your intended plan.

 

[sasksodbuster]

Thank you very much for all the responses on this thread, trying to move away from ammonium sulphate so looking at all alternatives. Not a big fan of spreading fertilizer but understand it is part of the process to break down the fertilizer so it is available.

 

[kirschenman]

Reagrding biosul or any prilled ES, buy whatever is cheapest per lb of S. There doesn't seem to be anything magical about Biosul. I still have dime sized chunks in my field from 2017. I spread some ES (85% stuff from someone I can't remember near Camrose I think) and after a few dews and drizzles you couldn't find a prill, just a little yellow dust where each had been.

Being able to spread the prills vs biosul is nice if you have a spreader. But if not just go with the cheapest option once again.

 

[Snapper22]

Just a errant thought but lots of people have 3 tank drills so why couldn’t you broadcast elemental while seeding canola? Won’t be available that year but if you’re already topped up so to speak, canola takes smallest tank and you have a free tank unless you’re running a big blend. Would save an extra pass in the future.

 

[sasksodbuster]

Would work if you have a double shoot system and not using the 2nd system, but my guess is most of us using a double shoot system are not giving it up to broadcast sulfur.

 

[402farmer]

So I've been doing more thinking here and talking to others and I do agree no tiger 90 down the drill but s15 even though half elemantal everyone has been having good results, was mentioned somehow the phos part of it is more efficient also? And with only being half elemental in layers in each fert. Prill maybe it breaks down fast? I run a seedhawk but guys with bourgaults obviously grow great crops that would have to use s15 in order to get any kind of decent amount of fert. Down with the seed since you have to single shoot your starter blend and seed together.