Impact of Sulphur Sources and Organic Manures on Soil Health in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Cultivation

Abstract

Sulphur (S) is the fourth major plant nutrient after nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and is essential for sustainable crop production. The study aims to evaluate the impact of different sulphur sources and organic manures on soil health in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Cultivation. The field experiment was conducted at Jobner, Rajasthan, India, during kharif 2022. The experiment was arranged as a factorial in a randomised complete block design with three replications, comprising a total of twenty treatment combinations. One factor consisted of four sulphur sources (control, gypsum, elemental sulphur, and bentonite) while the other factor comprised five organic manure treatments (control, FYM at 5 t/ha, FYM at 10 t/ha, vermicompost at 2.5 t/ha, and vermicompost at 5 t/ha). Results revealed that gypsum improved available sulphur and calcium content and alkaline phosphatase and arylsulphatase enzyme activity in soil, while higher organic manure rates significantly increased soil organic carbon, macronutrient and micronutrient availability, soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and arylsulphatase enzyme activity. Vermicompost at 5 t/ha and FYM at 10 t/ha were particularly effective in enhancing soil fertility and enzyme activity. The study concluded that integrating inorganic sulphur sources (gypsum) with organic manures (vermicompost/FYM) improves soil health, nutrient availability, and enzyme activity in sesame cultivation, promoting sustainable agriculture practices.