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AdvanSix’s agronomy experts are available to answer your questions about how to get the most out of your ammonium sulfate investment. Mercedes Gearhart has overseen agronomic research at AdvanSix for more than 20 years, and has a wealth of knowledge about fertilizer use efficiency and improving crop yields. Check out the questions asked below or ask your own question.
How much can I expect soil pH to go down when using ammonium sulfate to provide my crops with the recommended amount of sulfur?
At the low rates required to satisfy a crop’s sulfur needs, the acidifying effect of ammonium sulfate is insignificant – in the order of thousandths of a pH unit. Based on a calculation, for a sulfur rate of 30 pounds per acre, it comes up to 0.004 of a pH unit for a clay soil with a pH of 6.00 (taking it down to 5.99) and 0.009 of a pH unit for a sandy loam soil with a pH of 6.60 (taking it down to 6.59). Therefore, long-term use of ammonium sulfate as a sulfur source may not significantly acidify soils.