Role of sulphur in cereal crops: A review

Abstract

Sulphur (S) is an essential nutrient for all organisms. Sulphur is being categorized along with Nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) as the fourth macro nutrient. It is an important component for the production of proteins, and plays a part in chlorophyll synthesis. 41% of the Indian soils are known to be deficient in sulphur. Sulphur deficient soils are becoming common around the globe. Use of sulphur-free fertilizers is one of the main reasons behind sulphur shortage in soil. Higher crop yields may not be obtained when sulphur deficiency prevails as it affects the usage of applied N, P, and K by the crop. Many field experiments were conducted on different cereal crops from which it can be stated that 20-40 kg Sulphur/ha application significantly affected the growth, yield, nutrient uptake and economics. The goal of this review is to provide an update on recent findings related to these subjects, which may lead to a better understanding of S-fertilization and the role of S-fertilization in cereals.