Abstract
This study investigated whether fertilization with urea or ammonium sulfate could mitigate the growth limitations of sorghum imposed by alkaline-saline-sodic (ASS) soils. We hypothesized that the application of these nitrogen sources would improve the plant’s mineral status and photosynthetic activity. Experiments were conducted using three sorghum hybrids under both field and greenhouse conditions, comparing ASS soil to a non-ASS control. The treatments included fertilization with ammonium sulfate, urea, and a non-fertilized control. At the end of both experiments, soil and plant samples were analyzed to assess soil pH, nutrient content, and chlorophyll fluorescence. Our results demonstrate that ammonium sulfate, but not urea, significantly improved plant mineral status by inducing acidification in the ASS soil. This improved status led to increased photosynthetic rates and biomass production compared to unfertilized controls. These findings position ammonium sulfate as an effective tool for improving sorghum growth and productivity in challenging marginal soils. Highlights: Ammonium sulfate (AS) fertilization reduced alkaline-saline-sodic (ASS) soil pH by approximately 1 unit under field conditions, whereas urea (U) shows no significant effect on soil pH. Unlike U, fertilization with AS improves the mineral status of sorghum by increasing the uptake of essential macro- and micronutrients, including N, P, K, and Ca, which are limited in AAS soils. The damage to the photosystem II electron transport chain was mitigated by AS treatment, demonstrating protection of the photosynthetic machinery from ASS stress. Hybrid-specific responses revealed that moderately tolerant genotypes (163 and SIP) achieved biomass production comparable to control soil conditions when treated with AS, highlighting the importance of combining appropriate genotypes with fertilization strategies.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium sulfate, but not urea, significantly improved sorghum mineral status.
SorghumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated whether fertilization with urea or ammonium sulfate could mitigate the growth limitations of sorghum imposed by alkaline-saline-sodic (ASS) soils”
e1“Our results demonstrate that ammonium sulfate, but not urea, significantly improved plant mineral status by inducing acidification in the ASS soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium sulfate treatment increased sorghum photosynthetic rates compared with unfertilized controls.
- Treatment
- ammonium sulfatee0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic ratese1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Comparator
- unfertilized controlse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated whether fertilization with urea or ammonium sulfate could mitigate the growth limitations of sorghum imposed by alkaline-saline-sodic (ASS) soils”
e1“This improved status led to increased photosynthetic rates and biomass production compared to unfertilized controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium sulfate treatment increased sorghum biomass production compared with unfertilized controls.
- Treatment
- ammonium sulfatee0
- Outcome
- biomass productione1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Comparator
- unfertilized controlse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated whether fertilization with urea or ammonium sulfate could mitigate the growth limitations of sorghum imposed by alkaline-saline-sodic (ASS) soils”
e1“This improved status led to increased photosynthetic rates and biomass production compared to unfertilized controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium sulfate treatment mitigated damage to the photosystem II electron transport chain in sorghum.
- Treatment
- AS treatmente1
- Outcome
- damage to the photosystem II electron transport chaine1
- Direction
- mitigatede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated whether fertilization with urea or ammonium sulfate could mitigate the growth limitations of sorghum imposed by alkaline-saline-sodic (ASS) soils”
e1“The damage to the photosystem II electron transport chain was mitigated by AS treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium sulfate fertilization reduced ASS soil pH by approximately 1 unit under field conditions.
- Treatment
- Ammonium sulfate (AS) fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- soil pHe0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- approximately 1 unite0
- Setting
- field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Ammonium sulfate (AS) fertilization reduced alkaline-saline-sodic (ASS) soil pH by approximately 1 unit under field conditions, whereas urea (U) shows no significant effect on soil pH”
e1“growth limitations of sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium sulfate fertilization increased uptake of essential macro- and micronutrients by sorghum.
- Treatment
- fertilization with ASe0
- Outcome
- uptake of essential macro- and micronutrientse0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Qualifier
- including N, P, K, and Cae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Unlike U, fertilization with AS improves the mineral status of sorghum by increasing the uptake of essential macro- and micronutrients, including N, P, K, and Ca, which are limited in AAS soils”
e1“growth limitations of sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Sorghum genotypes 163 and SIP under AS treatment achieved biomass production comparable to control soil conditions.
- Material
- 163 and SIPe0
- Treatment
- ASe0
- Outcome
- biomass productione0
- Direction
- comparablee0
- Comparator
- control soil conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hybrid-specific responses revealed that moderately tolerant genotypes (163 and SIP) achieved biomass production comparable to control soil conditions when treated with AS”
e1“growth limitations of sorghum”
The same questions in other papers
ammonium sulfate · yield · SorghumResults agree
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