Paul and Mukhopadhyay

Table 3. Correlations (r–values) between some important

ofȱcropȱgrown,ȱwaterȱuseȱandȱadditionȱofȱfertilizersȱ

physicochemical characteristics and available sulphur

(PatelȱandȱPatelȱ2008;ȱPatelȱ et al. 2011).

content of soils

Relationship of available sulphur with important

Soil characters

Available sulphur

soil physicochemical characteristics

pH

-0.02

OC

0.34**

Theȱ valuesȱ ofȱ correlationȱ co-efficientȱ presentedȱ inȱ

Total N

0.27**

theȱ Tableȱ 3,ȱ indicatedȱ aȱ significantȱ andȱ positiveȱ

correlationȱ betweenȱ availableȱ sulphurȱ andȱ organicȱ

CEC

0.04

carbonȱ (rȱ =ȱ 0.34**)ȱ andȱ itȱ wasȱ followedȱ byȱ totalȱ Nȱ

Clay

0.19*

(rȱ=ȱ0.27**)ȱcontentȱinȱsoils.ȱSoilȱtextureȱinȱtermsȱofȱ

Silt + Clay

0.24*

estimatesȱofȱclayȱ(rȱ=ȱ0.19*)ȱandȱsilt+clayȱ(rȱ=ȱ0.24*)ȱ

Oxalate-Al

0.10

alsoȱ showedȱ significantȱ andȱ positiveȱ correlationsȱ

Oxalate-Fe

0.19*

withȱavailableȱS.ȱSinceȱbothȱSȱandȱNȱareȱtheȱintegralȱ

CBD-Al

0.10

constituentsȱofȱproteinsȱinȱtheȱorganicȱmatter,ȱtheseȱ

CBD-Fe

0.24*

twoȱelementsȱuseȱtoȱmaintainȱaȱdefiniteȱN:Sȱratioȱinȱ

CBD (Al+Fe)

0.18

theȱ organicȱ matter.ȱ Hence,ȱ significantȱ andȱ positiveȱ

relationshipȱofȱavailableȱSȱwithȱtotalȱNȱandȱorganicȱ

* and ** : refer to level of significance at 0.05 and 0.01 probability

carbonȱ contentȱ wereȱ imminentȱ (Sharmaȱ andȱ Jaggiȱ

level respectively.

2001).ȱ Similarlyȱ textureȱ asȱ oneȱ ofȱ theȱ majorȱ soilȱ

43.26ȱ withȱ anȱ overallȱ meanȱ valueȱ ofȱ 24.14ȱ mgȱ kg -1

characteristicsȱhasȱdecidedȱinfluenceȱonȱSȱstatusȱinȱ

soilȱ (Tableȱ 2).ȱ However,ȱ aboutȱ 25ȱ perȱ centȱ ofȱ totalȱ soilsȱasȱtheȱamountȱofȱclayȱandȱsiltȱdeterminesȱtheȱ

soilsȱunderȱstudyȱrecordedȱtoȱhaveȱavailableȱSȱstatusȱ numberȱofȱedgeȱadsorptionȱsitesȱforȱsulphur.

underȱ mediumȱ categoryȱ andȱ almostȱ 75ȱ perȱ centȱ

Availableȱ Sȱ extractedȱ byȱ 0.15%ȱ CaCl ȱ reagentȱ thatȱ

2

underȱhighȱcategory.ȱHowever,ȱnearlyȱ11ȱperȱcentȱofȱ

exhibitedȱ goodȱ positiveȱ correlationsȱ withȱ oxalate-ȱ

totalȱsoilȱsamplesȱfoundȱtoȱcontainȱavailableȱsulphurȱ

asȱ wellȱ asȱ CBD-ȱ extractableȱ Feȱ andȱ Alȱ formsȱ andȱ

justȱonȱtheȱborderȱlineȱofȱmediumȱtoȱhighȱcategory.

combinationȱofȱCBDȱ(Al+Fe),ȱbutȱitȱwasȱsignificantȱ

AvailableȱSȱstatusȱwasȱnoticedȱ(Tableȱ2)ȱhigh,ȱaboutȱ onlyȱwithȱFeȱfractionsȱ(Oxalate-Fe:ȱrȱ=ȱ0.19*;ȱCBD-Fe:ȱ

60ȱperȱcentȱofȱtotalȱsamplesȱfromȱeachȱofȱBalorampurȱ 0.24*).ȱItȱmayȱbeȱattributedȱtoȱmoreȱretentionȱofȱSO 4 -2

andȱ Rajpurȱ soilȱ seriesȱ underȱ CoochBeharȱ districtȱ ionsȱwithȱincreaseȱinȱtheȱamountȱofȱamorphousȱandȱ

followedȱbyȱnearlyȱ40ȱperȱcentȱfromȱLotafelaȱseriesȱ crystallineȱFeȱandȱAlȱfractionsȱwhichȱwasȱfavouredȱ

underȱ CoochBehar.ȱ 30ȱ perȱ centȱ fromȱ Dhupguriȱ underȱ acidicȱ soilȱ environment.ȱ Thisȱ wasȱ furtherȱ

benchmarkȱ siteȱ underȱ Jalpaiguriȱ districtȱ wereȱ confirmedȱ inȱ theȱ presentȱ studyȱ fromȱ theȱ negativeȱ

observedȱtoȱcontainȱavailableȱSȱwithinȱtheȱmediumȱ relationshipȱobtainedȱbetweenȱtheȱsoilȱpHȱ(rȱ=ȱ-0.02)ȱ

range,ȱ whileȱ remainingȱ samplesȱ showedȱ highȱ inȱ andȱnativeȱSO 4 -Sȱcontentȱ(BasumataryȱandȱDasȱ2012).

availableȱ Sȱ status.ȱ However,ȱ 10ȱ toȱ 20ȱ perȱ centȱ ofȱ

theȱ totalȱ samplesȱ underȱ mediumȱ Sȱ availabilityȱ

Different forms of sulphur in soil

statusȱalongȱwithȱrestȱportionsȱintoȱhighȱrangeȱwereȱ

Total sulphur

notedȱ forȱ soilsȱ collectedȱ fromȱ otherȱ locations.ȱ Theȱ

observedȱ variationsȱ ofȱ sulphurȱ availabilityȱ inȱ soilsȱ TheȱtotalȱSȱcontentȱwasȱfoundȱtoȱvaryȱwidelyȱfromȱ

ofȱ differentȱ seriesȱ andȱ someȱ identifiedȱ locationsȱ 191.18ȱtoȱ530.40ȱmgȱkg -1 ȱwithȱanȱaverageȱofȱ309.21ȱ

(benchmarkȱsite)ȱtestedȱmightȱbeȱdueȱtoȱtheȱpresenceȱ mgȱkg -1 ȱ(Tableȱ4).ȱTheȱlowestȱamountȱofȱtotalȱsulphurȱ

ofȱ variableȱ proportionsȱ ofȱ differentȱ componentsȱ ofȱ wasȱ recordedȱ inȱ theȱ soilȱ sampleȱ collectedȱ fromȱ

organicȱmatterȱ(Basumataryȱ et al. 2010),ȱsoilȱandȱcropȱ Balorampurȱseries,ȱwhileȱtheȱhighestȱwasȱobservedȱ

managementȱpracticesȱsuchȱasȱintensityȱandȱnatureȱ inȱtheȱsampleȱfromȱBinnaguriȱseries.ȱMostȱofȱtheȱsoil

350