Insights into the Response of Elemental Sulfur Fertilization on Crop Yield and Nutritional Quality of Durum Wheat

Sulfur is known to play an important role in optimizing the crop response by mediating processes like plant metabolism, protein synthesis, and nutrient partitioning into the grains as a plant’s economic part. However, the role of sulfur fertilization is still far less understood in durum wheat grown in the Indo-Gangetic Plain Zone (IGPZ) of northern India. The treatments comprised of six sulfur doses viz., applied 20 and 40 kg S ha^–1 to the preceding crop, 20 and 40 kg S ha^–1 to durum wheat, and 20 and 40 kg S ha^–1 to the preceding crop and durum wheat with a control (no sulfur). The experiment was conducted during the winter season in a completely randomized block design with three replications. The sulfur fertilization increased the grain yield by 16%, semolina yield by 23%, grain protein by 17%, β-carotene by 36%, grain Zn by 28%, and grain Fe by 19% over the control. The observations lend strong support that sulfur dose at 20 kg ha^–1 to the preceding crop and durum wheat, and 40 kg S ha^–1 to durum wheat were statistically on par to ensure both yield and quality attributes of durum wheat. The findings underscore the significant role of sulfur fertilization in response to different sulfur doses in crop yield and nutritional quality of durum wheat. The long-term studies on the residual and cumulative effects of sulfur fertilization can decode the underlying mechanism of protein synthesis and other metabolic processes for the grain quality of durum wheat. This will be tailoring the response of sulfur fertilization practices to ensure crop productivity and nutritional security.