N and S concentration and stoichiometry in soybean during vegetative growth: Dynamics of indices for diagnosing the S status

The adjusted S dilution curve for S-sufficient treatments was attenuated in soybean (S = 2.8 W−0.11), with no differences among cultivars of maturity groups II and IV, and sowing dates from November to January. For the same treatments, the N:S ratio was stable in shoots during vegetative growth (N:S = 12.2), supporting the use of a unique threshold for diagnosing the S status during this period. Sulphur concentration in stems was more responsive to the availability of S than%S in lamina. In addition, the concentration of N in stem tended to be constant with variation in %S while %N and %S correlated in lamina. This produced a greater response of N:S in stem than in lamina. Thus, the determination of%S and N:S in stem are good candidates as indicators of S status of soybean.