International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology
Citation: IJAEB: 8(2): 347-357 June 2015
DOI Number: 10.5958/2230-732X.2015.00043.1
©2015 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved
SOIL SCIENCE
Distribution and Availability of Sulphur in some Terai Soils
under Subtropical Zone of Eastern India
SankarȱCh.ȱPaul 1 ȱandȱPrabirȱMukhopadhyay 2
1 Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, CoochBehar, West Bengal, India – 736165
2 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour,
Bhagalpur, Bihar – 813210, India.
Corresponding author: scpaul64@rediffmail.com
Paper No. 327
Received: 18 October 2014
Accepted: 12 May 2015
Published: 29 June 2015
Abstract
Aȱstudyȱwasȱconductedȱinȱsomeȱ terai ȱsoilsȱunderȱsubtropicalȱzoneȱofȱEasternȱIndiaȱconsideringȱsomeȱ
soilȱseriesȱandȱsomeȱbenchmarkȱsitesȱtoȱevaluateȱdistributionȱofȱavailableȱsulphurȱstatusȱandȱimportantȱ
soilȱattributesȱonȱsulphurȱavailability.ȱTheȱtotalȱSȱcontentȱwasȱfoundȱtoȱvaryȱwidelyȱfromȱ191.18ȱtoȱ
530.40ȱmgȱkg -1 ȱwithȱanȱaverageȱofȱ309.21ȱmgȱkg -1 .ȱTheȱpercentageȱcontributionȱofȱorganicȱS,ȱsulphateȱ
S,ȱadsorbedȱS,ȱheatȱsolubleȱSȱandȱwaterȱsolubleȱSȱvariedȱfromȱ29.62ȱtoȱ85.02,ȱ7.85ȱtoȱ9.94,ȱ0.23ȱtoȱ9.82,ȱ
5.97ȱtoȱ17.59ȱandȱ1.77ȱtoȱ6.80ȱperȱcentȱtoȱtotalȱsulphurȱinȱsoilȱsamples.ȱAvailableȱSȱwasȱsignificantlyȱandȱ
positivelyȱcorrelatedȱtoȱorganicȱcarbon,ȱtotalȱN,ȱclayȱandȱsilt+clay,ȱoxalate-Fe,ȱCBD-Feȱandȱonlyȱnegativeȱ
correlatedȱwithȱpHȱ(rȱ=ȱ-0.02).ȱOrganicȱSȱexhibitedȱsignificantȱandȱpositiveȱcorrelationsȱwithȱsulphate,ȱ
waterȱsolubleȱS,ȱheatȱsolubleȱSȱandȱadsorbedȱSȱandȱplayedȱmajorȱroleȱinȱsulphurȱavailability.ȱSignificantlyȱ
positiveȱcorrelationsȱofȱsulphateȱSȱwithȱwaterȱsolubleȱ(rȱ=ȱ0.80**),ȱheatȱsolubleȱ(rȱ=ȱ0.70**)ȱandȱadsorbedȱSȱ
(rȱ=ȱ0.46**)ȱandȱorganicȱformȱofȱSȱ(rȱ=ȱ70**)ȱwereȱfound.ȱAȱsignificantlyȱpositiveȱcorrelationȱwasȱobservedȱ
betweenȱwaterȱsolubleȱandȱheatȱsolubleȱS.ȱAmongȱtheȱsoilȱproperties,ȱorganicȱcarbon,ȱtotalȱN,ȱsilt+ȱclay,ȱ
CBD-extractableȱAlȱandȱFeȱinfluencedȱmostlyȱonȱvariabilityȱofȱavailableȱSȱinȱtheseȱsoils.
Highlights
Keywords: ȱSulphurȱavailability,ȱsulphurȱdistribution,ȱsoilȱphysicochemicalȱcharacteristics
Sulphurȱisȱanȱimportantȱpartȱofȱorganicȱmatterȱandȱitsȱ consideredȱ toȱ beȱ anȱ importantȱ donorȱ ofȱ availableȱ
availabilityȱisȱdependentȱonȱitsȱtransformationȱintoȱ sulphur,ȱ thereȱ areȱ severalȱ instancesȱ whereȱ soilsȱ
inorganicȱforms.ȱItȱisȱoneȱofȱtheȱ17ȱmineralȱnutrientsȱ withȱhavingȱ300ȱmgȱkg -1 ȱorȱmoreȱorganicȱsulphur,ȱ
whichȱareȱessentialȱforȱtheȱgrowthȱandȱdevelopmentȱ containedȱonlyȱtracesȱofȱavailableȱ(CaCl 2 -extractable)ȱ
ofȱ allȱ plants.ȱ Sulphurȱ isȱ alsoȱ essentialȱ forȱ humanȱ sulphur.ȱ Otherȱ thanȱ cropȱ uptake,ȱ plantȱ availableȱ
andȱ animalsȱ andȱ isȱ increasinglyȱ beingȱ recognizedȱ sulphurȱisȱsubjectedȱtoȱimmobilizationȱandȱleachingȱ
asȱ theȱ fourthȱ majorȱ plantȱ nutrientȱ afterȱ nitrogen,ȱ asȱwell.ȱInȱspiteȱofȱtheȱfactȱthatȱplantsȱabsorbȱsulphurȱ
phosphorusȱ andȱ potassium.ȱ Availableȱ sulphurȱ almostȱexclusivelyȱasȱsulphate,ȱdeterminationȱofȱtheȱ
consistingȱ largelyȱ ofȱ easilyȱ extractableȱ sulphateȱ sulphateȱcontentȱofȱaȱsoilȱisȱofȱlittleȱuseȱasȱaȱmeasureȱ
sulphurȱisȱtheȱimmediateȱsupplierȱofȱsulphateȱionsȱ ofȱsulphateȱavailability.ȱTotalȱsulphurȱmeasurementȱ
toȱ theȱ rootȱ ofȱ plants.ȱAlthoughȱ organicȱ sulphurȱ isȱ similarlyȱhasȱprovedȱtoȱbeȱofȱlimitedȱusefulnessȱinȱ