Comparative performance of gypsum and micro-ionized sulphur on wheat (Triticum aestivum)

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2010–11 at Pantnagar, to compare the response of gypsum and micronized sulphur in variety ‘PBW 502’ of wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol.]. Microionized sulphur as soil application@ 60 kg/ha gave higher value of shoot count, plant height, dry-matter accumulation and yield attributes and yield, NPK and S uptake, quality parameters like grain protein, starch, wet gluten, sedimentation value, hectolitre weight and economics parameters, viz. gross returns, net return, benefit: cost ratio compared to gypsum. However, foliar application of gypsum @ 2% gave higher value of the above-mentioned parameter than foliar application @ 2% of microionized sulphur. At 60 kg S application rate, micro-ionized S gave about 8% more grain yield than gypsum; however, in case of foliar application 1.5% higher yield was noticed in gypsum than micro-ionized S. Application of 40 and 60 kg S/ha either through gypsum or micro–ionized S failed to give significant difference on wheat performance.