Response of Sulphur Fertilizer Application to Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Yield and Quality in Kulumsa, Arsi, Ethiopia

Abstract: A field study was conducted during 2013/14 cropping season with the objectives of to study the response of bread wheat to different rates of sulfur fertilizer, to study the effect of Sulphur fertilization on yield and quality of protein of bread wheat and to suggest some recommendations about the optimal rates of sulfur fertilizer application for bread wheat as well as for further sulfur research works. The treatments applied as one factor of six levels of sulphur (0, 20, 40, 60,80 and 100 kg S ha-1 . The treatments were replicated three times in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The experiment was carried out at the Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center on clay textured soil. Data were collected and statistical analysis was done on various characters of the crop. Soil Samples were also taken before and after the implementation of the experiment and chemically analyzed. The analysis of variance for the results of the study revealed among yield and Quality parameters of wheat; Thousand Grains Weight, Grain protein content and wet Gluten were significantly (p≤0.05) affected by rates of S. In addition to Grain yield and Hectoliter Weight were highly significant (p≤0.01) by rates of S. Average over S treatments, each S level brought about significant increase in grain yield and protein over no S. Accordingly, 60 kg S ha-1 further increased yields significantly over control (no N), followed by 40,20, kg S ha-1. Application of 60 kg S/ha increased the grain yield of wheat by 12.64%, 11.39%, 6.44% and 2.52% respectively when compared with the no S application and increased protein contents of wheat by 2.94%, 1.77%, 1.42% and 1.36% respectively when compared with the no S application. However, more systematic investigation should be made based on the detailed analysis of soil fertility, crop characteristics and economic feasibility of recommended treatments in different principal bread wheat growing areas of Ethiopia in order to reach a sound conclusion and recommendation.