Revisiting the role of sulfur in crop production: A narrative review

A review of the role of sulfur (S) in crop production is presented, with a particular emphasis on major crops including corn (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Specifically, S demand and availability, nutritive effects in improving yield, its effect on quality in major crops, different diagnostic methods, and future perspectives of S research are discussed. Sulfur plays a crucial role in synthesizing proteins, chlorophyll, enzymes, and vitamins, as well as influencing general metabolic and photosynthetic mechanisms. In the early 1950s, S deficiency was only noted in specific soils, but now it is becoming universally deficient. The amount of plant-available S in the soil…

• MA
  Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State University