What Are The Advantages of Zinc Sulfate to Bermuda Grass?

Question

We're doing an investigatory project on adding zinc sulfate

to bermuda grass.We're supposed to burn the bermuda grass,

and tell if it has zinc sulfate in it or not. Now, I'm coming

up with the Background of the Study of our research, and I was

wondering what are the advantages of adding zinc sulfate to bermuda grass...

Answer 1

With high calcium soils it may be necessary to add zinc to the plants, on foliage, because the high pH will immediately immobilize the zinc.

With relatively low pH soils, one should confirm the need before applying.

Answer 2

If your soil is deficient in plant available zinc or sulfur, Zinc Sulfate will provide both.  It is usually added to fertilizer blends to provide Zinc.  This will work fairly effectively unless your soil has a large component of high valence anions (usually phosphorus) that may or may not bind the zinc and make it plant unavailable.  I have seen greater problems with zinc availability in high pH soils, especially with organic operations (over applications of P) than any other scenario.

Zinc sulfate has been added to many turf fertilizer programs even when plant available levels of both zinc and sulfur have been in the adequate zone from soil tests because of a reported change in turf color and quality.  I personally have not been able to document said change.

I would gather you are using tissue tests to determine if the levels of zinc and sulfur in the bermudagrass are adequate.  One should remember this is a highly subjective threshold level (what is adequate for forage growth may be inadequate for animal production or turf quality).  Make sure you understand the threshold table.

Answer 3

If your soil is deficient in plant available zinc or sulfur, Zinc Sulfate will provide both.