Studies on response of rabi Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) to different sources and levels of sulphur under rainfed conditions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the Response of rabi sorghum to different sources and levels of Sulphur for two years during rabi seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22 at All India Coordinated Research Project, Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. The experiment was laidout in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications and consisted of seven treatments involving two sulphur sources (Gypsum and Bentonite), three sulphur levels (10, 15 and 20 kg/ha) and one recommended package of practice (RPP). Pooled data indicated that, application of RPP + sulphur @ 20 kg/ha through bentonite recorded significantly higher plant height (232.0cm), panicle weight 9154.5 g/plant), grain weight (104.32 g/panicle) 1000-grain weight (36.8 g), higher grain (47.34g/ha) and fodder yield(12.04t/ha) of rabi sorghum as compared to rest of the treatments. It also recorded significantly higher gross returns (Rs.1,33031), net return (Rs.89432) and BC ratio (3.05) as compared to rest of the treatments. Hence, application of 20 kg sulphur through bentonite along with RPP {RDF (50:25:0 kg NPK/ha) + FYM (3t/ha) + ZnSO4 (15 kg/ha)} was found to be optimum to get higher yield and net returns.