Agro-economic evaluation of sulphur fertilisation on growth, productivity and monetary efficiency of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under wheat-rice(Oryza sativa) cropping sequence in the indo-gangetic plains, India

Sunil Kumar  Prajapati; Dinesh Kumar; Y S  Shivay; M C Meena; Arti Bhatia; Seema Sangwan; Anjali Anand; Sandeep Gawdiya; Nilutpal Saikia; S k Asraful  Ali

doi:10.56093/ijas.v96i4.168298

Authors

Sunil Kumar Prajapati ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Dinesh Kumar ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Y S Shivay ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
M C Meena ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Arti Bhatia ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Seema Sangwan ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Anjali Anand ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Sandeep Gawdiya ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Nilutpal Saikia ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
S k Asraful Ali ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v96i4.168298

Keywords:

Agronomic efficiency, Leaf area index, Monetary efficiency, NDVI, Nutrient management, SPAD, Sulphur levels, Wheat productivity

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2023–24 and 2024–25 to study the agro-economic evaluation of sulphur fertilisation on growth attributes, yield, production and monetary efficiency of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in wheat-rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping sequence. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications consisted of five sulphur levels viz., 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg S/ha. Results showed that the application of sulphur significantly enhanced growth attributes such as height, tiller, dry matter accumulation (DMA), yield and monetary efficiency. In 2023–24, 45 kg S/ha improved plant height by 12.4%, tillers/m² by 59.7%, and DMA by 80.2% over the control. Similarly, in 2024–25, 30 kg S/ha increased plant height by 10.6%, tillers by 66.6% and DMA by 80.7%. Physiological traits like LAI, SPAD and NDVI were also enhanced. LAI rose by 50.8% in 2023–24 and 53.0% in 2024–25 with 30 kg S/ha, while SPAD increased by 14.6% and 16.8% and NDVI by 17.7% and 20.2% over the control in respective years. Grain yield increased by 43% (2023–24) and 38.4% (2024–25) with 45 and 30 kg S/ha, respectively. Agronomic efficiency peaked at 30 kg S/ha in 2023–24 (56.3 kg grain/kg S) and 15 kg S/ha in 2024–25 (95.3 kg grain/kg S). Production efficiency increased by 42.9% in 2023–24 and 38.3% in 2024–25 with 45 and 30 kg S/ha over the control, respectively. Sulphur fertilisation at 30–45 kg/ha consistently improved growth, yield, and profitability, with 30 kg/ha being the most efficient rate

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Dawar K, Khan A A, Jahangir M M R, Mian I A, Khan B et al. 2022. Effect of nitrogen in combination with different levels of sulfur on wheat growth and yield. ACS omega 8(1): 279–88.

Dhillon J, Dhital S, Lynch T, Figueiredo B, Omara P et al. 2019. In‐season application of nitrogen and sulfur in winter wheat. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment 2(1): 1–8.

Ercoli L, Lulli L, Arduini I, Mariotti M and Masoni A. 2011. Durum wheat grain yield and quality as affected by S rate under Mediterranean conditions. European Journal of Agronomy 35(2): 63–70.

Evans G C. 1972. Studies in Eecology. Volume 1. The Quantitative Analysis of Plant Growth. Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications. 734p.

Fuentes-Lara L O, Medrano-Macías J, Pérez-Labrada F, Rivas-Martínez E N, García-Enciso E L, González-Morales S and Benavides-Mendoza A. 2019. From elemental sulfur to hydrogen sulfide in agricultural soils and plants. Molecules 24(12): 2282.

Gomez K A and Gomez A A. 1984. Statistical Procedures for Agricultural Research. Second Edition. International Rice Research Institute. A Wiley-Inter-Science Publication. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 680p.

Ihsan M Z, Daur I, Alghabari F, Alzamanan S, Rizwan S, et al. 2019. Heat stress and plant development: role of sulphur metabolites and management strategies. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B—Soil & Plant Science 69(4): 332-42.

Liu Z, Liu D, Fu X, Du X, Zhang Y, Zhen W and Li R. 2022. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed the regulatory mechanism of sulfur application in grain yield and protein content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 935516.

Mandi S, Shivay Y S, Prasanna R, Kumar D, Purakayastha T J, Pooniya V and Hussain S. 2022. Improving micronutrient density in basmati rice and durum wheat through summer green manuring and elemental sulfur fertilisation. Crop and Pasture Science 73: 804–16.

Mandi S, Shivay Y S, Prasanna R, Nayak S, Baral K, Reddy K S and Borate R B. 2024. Insights into the response of elemental sulfur fertilization on crop yield and nutritional quality of durum wheat. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 24(4): 8306–20.

Palsaniya D R and Ahlawat I P S. 2009. Sulphur management in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system. Indian Journal of Agronomy 54(3): 272–77.

Ram A, Kumar D, Singh N, and Anand A. 2014. Effect of sulphur on growth, productivity and economics of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa). Indian Journal of Agronomy 59(3): 404–9.

Ram A, Kumar D, Shivay Y S, Anand A, Singh N and Dev I. 2018. Effect of sulphur on growth, productivity, and economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and residual soil fertility under aerobic rice (Oryza sativa)-wheat cropping system in Inceptisols. Indian Journal of Agronomy 63(3): 271–77.

Sharma A, Gahlot K, Roy K, Singh A, and Sarkar S. 2023. Effect of nitrogen and sulphur fertilization on growth, yield, quality, and nutrient status of soil of wheat (Triticum aestivum) var. HD3086 (Pusa Gautami) crop. Journal of Food Chemistry and Nanotechnology 9(S1): S517–S523.

Shivay Y S, Prasad R, and Pal M. 2014. Effect of levels and sources of sulfur on yield, sulfur and nitrogen concentration and uptake and S-use efficiency in basmati rice. Communications in soil science and plant analysis 45(18): 2468–79.

Steel G D and J H Torrie. 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics with Special Reference to the Biological Sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York/London. 481p.

Tandon H L S. 2011. Sulphur in Soils, Crops & Fertilisers: From Research to Practical Application. Fertiliser Development and Consultation Organisation, New Delhi, India. 270p.