PJB-2019-1021
Organic sources and elemental sulphur effect on mustard growth and oil quality in alkaline calcareous soil
Kouser Majeed Malik
Abstract
A field experiment was carried out during winter season at a farmer’s field in district Attock, northern Punjab, Pakistan to elucidate the effect of elemental sulphur and organic sources on growth, yield, sulphur uptake and oil quality of mustard crop. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Elemental sulphur (ES) was applied at the rate of 100 kg/ha with or without organic sources i.e. farmyard manure (FYM), poultry litter (PL) and sugarcane filter cake (SF), each applied at the rate of 20 tons/ha. Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) crop was sown and the growth and yield parameters (plant height, number of siliquae per plant, biomass and grain yield) were recorded at maturity. Total S contents in seeds and biomass were determined, and sulphur uptake and use efficiency were calculated. Seeds of mustard were also analyzed for oil quality parameters such as oil contents, protein contents and fatty acid profile analysis. Elemental sulphur (ES) application significantly increased the growth and yield attributes of the mustard crop, however combined application of organic sources and ES had more pronounced effect than the ES alone. Seed yield was significantly higher with the combined application of ES and SF. Protein and oil contents increased significantly in all the treatments but more with organic sources. Both the sulphur uptake and sulphur use efficiency by the mustard crop followed the trend: ES+SF>ES+PL>ES+FM>ES. Essential unsaturated fatty acids i.e., oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid were significantly increased with organic sources and ES addition, but maximum with SF. Non-essential saturated fatty acids like palmitic acid, eicosenoic acid and erucic acid decreased with the addition of ES and organic sources. In conclusion, combined application of organic sources and ES proved better in improving availability and use efficiency of sulphur in oilseed mustard crop. The complex organic C source i.e. sugarcane filter cake proved better than poultry litter and farmyard manure amendments.
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