Sulphur is one of the essential plant nutrients and in essence is a yield plus quality nutrient. Crops require sulphur in amounts similar to phosphorus to sustain growth, quality and yield. The increasing deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients have started affecting crop response to applied NPK. Sulphur deficiency is wide spread and is becoming an important constraint for sustainable development in agriculture. The low and declining crop response to fertilisers has become a cause of concern. The importance of sulphur for balanced nutrition and effective management is now widely recognized. Sulphur can be applied through a number of fertilisers, amendments, by products and elemental forms. Sulphur deficiency was observed not only in irrigated but rainfed areas too. In Maharashtra, it was reported to the extent of 54%. Now sulphur is emerging as the fourth most important nutrient in terms of extensiveness of deficiencies in India. Based on earlier delineation study, sulphur deficiency has been found to be widely spread in alkaline calcareous soils of Maharashtra (17.28%). In view of above, the crop response studies at 166 multi location multi crop two plot trials on Bensulf-(elemental sulphur in pastille form) in 1997-2001 covering cereals (57), oilseeds (38), vegetables (33) and cash crops (38). During 2010-2011, in all 20 field trials were also conducted at institutional and farmer's fields covering soybean (13), cotton (5), green gram (1) and sunflower (1) crops at different agro ecological conditions on variable soils. It was observed that oilseed crops like soybean, cotton and sunflower gave maximum yield and returns by application of Bensulf @ 37.5 kg/ha along with recommended doses of fertilisers for each crop while pulse crop like green gram performed better at 50 kg/ha Bensulf application along with recommended dose of fertilisers. Therefore, it is suggested to incorporate application of Bentonite sulphur along with NPK fertilisers which has been found to be effective on alkaline calcareous soils. Estimation of sulphur in soils and plant needs to be included in regular soil testing programmes by various Government and non-Government agencies on priority.
