The results of this project will be developed into 1) an Extension article and 2) a research publication that describes the effects of sulfur fertilizer application rates and timings on the growth, leaf S concentration, seed protein, amino acids, and yield of soybean and the value to the producers of applying sulfur. Plant and soil measurements that will be taken at key growth stages include sulfur nutrition levels in the soil and plant, plant height, canopy Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), seed protein and amino acids, and seed yield. The Extension article will be made available online at the website of University of Tennessee Crops, and approximately 1000 copies of the Extension publication will be distributed at regional grain conferences, in-service trainings, and county producer meetings.

The results of this project will also be presented at a professional conference (such as Agronomy Society of America Annual Meetings) and Extension events (for instance: Milan No-till Field Day, in-service trainings, and grower meetings).

Updated December 9, 2019:
Sulfur (S) is a key component of amino acids, proteins, and peptides. Thus, sulfur deficiency can significantly reduce soybean seed protein and amino acids and seed yield. Since there was little information available about sulfur fertilization effect on soybean seed quality, the objective of this project was to determine the responses of soybean seed protein, amino acids, and yield to sulfur fertilizer application rates and timings on soils with low to medium initial sulfur fertility levels. The first year results of this project showed that applying sulfur fertilizer via soil application at 10 to 40 lbs S/acre at planting or fertigation at 20 lbs S/acre in early or late season resulted in frequent numerical increases although statistically insignificant in plant growth, plant sulfur nutrition, and seed yield on both low and medium sulfur soils, which suggests that sulfur fertilizer application may increase the contents of seed protein and amino acids and seed yield of soybean under the production conditions in Tennessee and the Mid-South region.