The comparison of four extractants on four soils in an incubation study indicated that sulfate extracted by 0.15% calcium chloride was most closely correlated with CO2 evolution and nitrogen mineralization through a 14-wk incubation period. Air-drying the incubated samples was found to introduce sulfur transformations, which were unrelated to microbiological activity as measured by CO2 evolution. Accordingly, drying incubated samples prior to analysis is not recommended for sulfur mineralization studies. Soil:extractant ratios (using CaCl2) influenced levels of sulfate extracted from incubated samples, particularly those containing adsorbed sulfate. A comparison of a simple closed incubation system with an open system indicated that under the conditions employed, the closed system remained aerobic, and accordingly was suitable for sulfur mineralization studies.
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Kowalenko et al. (1975) studied this question.