Sulphur is an essential nutrient for arable crops. A deficiency can lead to disturbances in photosynthesis and biological nitrogen fixation, and therefore reduce yields and crop quality. Little is known about the sulphur supply of soils in Swiss organic arable farming.
This project aims to provide an overview of the sulphur supply in Swiss organic arable farming and to generate practical experience in the analysis and fertilisation of sulphur. Soil samples of sulphur and nitrogen will be analysed on farms. With a focus on the crops grain and fodder legumes, winter rape and winter cereals, a fertilisation with a sulphur fertiliser from the input list will be applied to subareas. The effect of the sulphur fertilisation is investigated by means of leaf analyses and yield bonitures. In winter cereals, quality parameters such as protein content and baking quality are also analysed. In the case of fodder legumes, the effect on the following crop will also be investigated in the following year.
The results and findings of the project will be made available to producers, for example at the Organic Farming Conference, on the website Bioaktuell.ch, as articles in the press or as a FiBL leaflet.
