Response of a cotton cultivar to sulphur fertilization

Field experiments on sulphur fertilization in cotton cultivar CIM-I09 were carried out at Central Cotton Research Institute Multan, Pakistan, in silty loam soils. The treatments consisted of four sulphur doses (0, 7, 14, 28 kg ha-l) and two sulphur sources (gypsum and ammonium sulphate). Sulphur fertilization showed significant increase in seed cotton yield, boll number and boll weight. The addition of 7 kg S ha-1 seemed sufficient to overcome deficiency in silty loam soils for optimum cotton production. There were no differences in seed cotton yield due to sulphur sources. The petiole sulphate-sulphur concentration increased with increasing doses of sulphur fertilizer. The concentration of SO/sub 4/-S > 2000 ppm seemed sufficient for normal cotton growth and optimum seed cotton yield. (author)