College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University, Imphal-795 004, India.
*Present address: KVK, Utlou, Nambol-795 134, Manipur.
The sulphur status of surface soils of 37 samples of Manipur was diagnosed for sulphur forms and available sulphur and their relationship with some physico-chemical properties of soils. The total sulphur ranged from 150.0–1100.0 ppm (average 293.9 ppm), organic sulphur ranged from 127.5–1038.8 ppm (average 260.6 ppm), sulphate-sulphur content ranged from 10.0–70.0 ppm (average 26.6 ppm) and adsorbed sulphur ranged from trace-45.0 ppm (average 18.3 ppm). Total sulphur, organic sulphur and sulphate-sulphur were significantly correlated with organic carbon (r=0.853**, r=0.846** and r=0.678**), with electrical conductivity (EC), (r=0.369*, r=0.358* and r=0.395*), with available nitrogen (r=0.699**, r=0.725** and r=0.435**), with total nitrogen (r=0.871**, r=0.888** and r=0.647**), with available K2O (r=0.423**, r=0.392* and r=0.590**), with CEC (r=0.520**, r=0.496** and r=0.551**) and with clay (r=0.455**,r=0.410* and r=0.383*) and negatively correlated with silt content of the soil (r=- 0.472**, r=-0.434** and r=-0. 367*). The soils had average C: N and C: S ratios of 7.6: 1 and 72.7: 1, respectively. The data indicated that parent material, organic matter content and to a lesser extent pH had influenced the sulphur status of the soils.
