Foliar Nano-Sulphur Application Enhances Growth Performance and Yield Formation in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

Sunflower productivity is often limited by sulphur deficiency, which affects growth, yield, and oil quality, making proper nutrient management essential. Recent advances show that sulphur nanoparticles applied through foliar spray with surfactants improve nutrient uptake and enhance crop performance sustainably. A pot culture experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, PJTAU, Hyderabad during the kharif season of 2024 to evaluate the effect of foliar application of green synthesized sulphur nanoparticles, prepared using pomegranate peel extract, with and without surfactant (Tween 20 @ 0.5 mL L-¹) on growth, physiological traits, yield attributes and seed sulphur content in sunflower. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design with ten treatments and three replications. The results revealed that foliar application of sulphur nanoparticles significantly improved plant growth, chlorophyll content, yield and seed sulphur content compared to control and zinc sulphate application. Among the treatments, sulphur nanoparticles at 500 ppm along with Tween 20 recorded the highest plant height (199.4 cm), leaf area per plant (213.7 cm²), SPAD value (46.53), head diameter (14.67 cm) and seed yield per plant (73.1 g) and was statistically superior to most treatments. Seed sulphur content increased with increasing nanoparticle concentration, with the highest value (0.62%) observed at 1000 ppm with surfactant. The study indicated that the optimum concentration of sulphur nanoparticles (500 ppm) combined with enhances growth and yield performance in sunflower, whereas higher concentrations are more effective for sulphur enrichment rather than yield improvement.