EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF SULPHUR ON THE GROWTH ECONOMIC YIELD OF THREE CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM) VARIETIES

Sulphur (S) is an important macronutrient for growth in animals, plants, microbes, and people. Sulphur shortage in plants leads to decreased photosynthetic activity, poor nitrogen metabolism and protein synthesis, low oil percentage, dwarfism, and growth retardation. The consequences are more severe in shoots than roots. Symptoms of S shortage in plants include the yellowing of immature leaves, chlorosis, necrosis in the late stages of development, spindles with short stalks, and poor crop production. A field experiment examined the effects of sulphur on the development and productivity of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.), The world's most nutritious pulse crop. In the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan undertook the study to investigate the effects of different sulphur concentrations on the economic yield of three different types of chickpeas (Noor-19, Bittal-21, and Bittal-16). The experiment involved two factors: the kind of chickpeas and the amount of sulphur (120 mg and 240 mg) applied during the blooming period. The study found that 240 mg of sulphur significantly increased grain yield, seed index (1000 grain weight), pod count plant-1, branch number plant-1, and plant height compared to the control. Higher sulphur levels produce a positive reaction because sulphur improves photosynthetic efficiency, protein synthesis, and nitrogen fixation, all of which boost yield and biomass accumulation. Other metrics, such as root length and chlorophyll b and c content, did not respond significantly to sulphur treatment, presumably due to limited mobility or assimilation of sulphur beyond specific metabolic requirements in chickpea growth. Therefore, adding the proper sulphur treatment to chickpea cropping systems' fertilization program can improve crop yield.