By Javed Iqbal and Aaron Nygren et.al
Key Takeaways
- Sulfur costs more this year. Ammonium thiosulfate is up about 15% from a year ago; ammonium sulfate is relatively unchanged.
- Most Nebraska soils supply enough sulfur for corn. A yield response is expected mainly on coarse-textured soils low in organic matter.
- Greener is not the same as more grain. Early-season greening on medium- and fine-textured soils rarely raises yield.
- Count the risk factors. Deficiency becomes likely when three or more conditions, such as sandy soil, organic matter below 1% and low-S irrigation water, occur together.
- Credit irrigation-water sulfur. About 73% of Nebraska irrigation wells supply more sulfur in 10 inches of water than a crop removes.
- Match the source to the timing. Use sulfate or thiosulfate at planting; elemental sulfur is slow, and prilled elemental S is rarely effective.
- Do not exceed 25 lb S/ac. Higher rates are not expected to increase yield.
Retail fertilizer prices this fall remain well above a year ago, led by anhydrous ammonia (Quinn, 2026). With nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium accounting for a larger share of the budget, every other line on the fertilizer bill deserves a second look.
Sulfur Fertilizer Prices Are Up from a Year Ago
Sulfur fertilizer prices have followed the broader upward market trend. In the most recent USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) distributor survey for Oklahoma, the nearest regional series that reports sulfur products, ammonium thiosulfate (ATS, 12-0-0-26S) averaged $415/ton, about 15% more than in early September 2025. Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24S) averaged $553/ton, nearly unchanged from a year earlier (Table 1; USDA AMS, 2025, 2026).
Source : unl.edu