Effect of Sulphur and Zinc Nutrition on Yield and Quality of Maize in Typic Ustochrept Soil of Kanpur

In a field experiment on Typic Ustochrept, the individual effects of S (0, 15, 30 & 45 kg S ha⁻¹) and Zn (0, 2.5, 5 & 10 kg Zn ha⁻¹) were studied on maize for yield, quality and nutrient uptake by maize (Zea mays L). Application of S up to 30 kg ha⁻¹ enhanced the average grain yield of maize by 22 per cent over control. The application of Zn up to 5 kg ha⁻¹ increased the maize grain yield by 19 per cent over control. On fitting the average grain yield data of two years into quadratic equation, the optimum dose of S for maize was found to be 34.3 kg ha⁻¹ for the maximum grain yield of 29.7 q ha⁻¹. Similarly, the optimum dose for zinc was found to be 7.1 kg ha⁻¹ giving maximum grain yield of 29.8 q ha⁻¹. Similar trend in yield response of stover was also recorded. Total S uptake progressively increased from 6.13 to 9.19 kg ha⁻¹ with the increase of S levels. The uptake of Zn also increased with the levels of Zn. The uptake of N, P and K increased up to 30 kg S and 5 kg Zn ha⁻¹ level. Protein content increased significantly with the increase of S and Zn over control. Tryptophan and lysine contents were found to increase with increased levels of Zn, while adverse effect was noted with increased levels of S.