Autor: Ciacci, María Belén; Dominguez, Rodrigo Ezequiel; Imhoff, Silvia del Carmen; Bustos, Dolores Angela; Salvagiotti, Fernando; Luna, Dario Fernando

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.

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