Soil Sulfur Status of Inceptisols in Oil Palm Plantations in Riau, Indonesia

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Published Nov 4, 2026
https://doi.org/10.55043/jaast.v10i4.525
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Vol. 10 No. 4 (2026): Articles in Press

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Oksana Oksana
Andalas University
Hermansah Hermansah
Andalas University
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8873-5339
Agustian Agustian
Andalas University
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4780-0630
Syafrimen Yasin
Andalas University
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4152-5586

Abstract

Oil palm requires sulfur (S) in amounts comparable to phosphorus. However, most fertilization Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in plantations neglect sulfur application. Notably, sulfur accumulation in soils can lead to base cation depletion, surface water acidification, and hydrogen sulfide toxicity. This study aims to assess soil sulfur status based on its physical and chemical characteristics. This descriptive quantitative study analyzed sulfur levels in soil samples from six- and eight-year-old oil palm plantations. A preliminary study was conducted before the implementation of sulfur fertilization trials in oil palm plantations in Riau to assess sulfur status in Inceptisol soils and sulfur content in plant tissues. The measured parameters included exchangeable acidity (Al and H-dd), soil pH (H2O) using a pH meter, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) using ammonium acetate extraction, organic carbon (extracted with K2Cr2O7 and H2SO4) Total N (Kjeldahl method), total nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Al, and Fe) using XRF, and available sulfur using a spectrophotometer with Morgan Wolf extraction. Results showed that total soil sulfur in both study locations was moderate to high, whereas sulfate levels as available S for plants were very low (<20 ppm). Total soil sulfur ranged from 40-70 ppm internationally, while available sulfur ranged from only 1.59-6.27 ppm. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between soil sulfate concentration with pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and bulk density. These findings indicate that soil fertility management should focus on nutrient addition and increasing the nutrient availability in the soil.

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Author Biographies

Oksana Oksana, Andalas University

Faculty of Agriculture, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia

Hermansah Hermansah, Andalas University

Faculty of Agriculture, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia

Agustian Agustian, Andalas University

Faculty of Agriculture, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia

Syafrimen Yasin, Andalas University

Faculty of Agriculture, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia

How to Cite
1.
Oksana O, Hermansah H, Agustian A, Yasin S. Soil Sulfur Status of Inceptisols in Oil Palm Plantations in Riau, Indonesia . J. appl. agricultural sci. technol. [Internet]. 2026Nov.4 [cited 2026Nov.8];10(4):706-19. Available from: https://jaast.org/index.php/jaast/article/view/525

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