Change in available sulphur, sulphur build up as influenced by the application of low grade rock phosphate, single super phosphate and their mixtures in a groundnut-maize cropping system on the acid Alfisols of Odisha State, India

Abstract

To find out the effect of low grade Udaipur rock phosphate (URP), single super phosphate and their mixtures on soil available sulphur at different growth stages of a groundnut- maize cropping system, a field experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with three replications and eight treatments from 2013-14 to 2015. The soil has a loam texture, a pH of 5.18, low available nitrogen and medium phosphorus and potassium. In control, soil available sulphur decreased gradually from the initial value of 27.45 to 12.35 kg ha-1 after four seasons. In sole URP treatments (T2 and T7) the soil available sulphur in T2 and T7 after four seasons were 29.67 and 22.54 kg ha-1 respectively. The highest value of soil available sulphur 38.41 kg ha-1 was recorded in SSP+ lime treatment (T8) followed by 35.71 in SSP (T3) and 33.13 kg ha-1 in URP+SSP 1:1 (T5) treatments respectively.