Potential of Nano Sulphur in Enhancing Oilseed Yields in India

The discussion revolves around whether the extensive use of nano sulphur can address India's challenge of low oilseed yields, a significant barrier to achieving self-sufficiency. Scientists from the The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) assert that it can.

Claims and Research Findings

• TERI scientists have developed nano sulphur which reportedly increases mustard yield by 30-40%, from 1,156 kg per acre to 1,559 kg per acre (approximately 3.7 tonnes per hectare).
• It enhances oil content by 28-30%.
• Genetically-modified mustard, DMH-11, has shown a 10-40% increase in yield in various trials.
• Current traditional mustard varieties yield around 1-1.8 tonnes per hectare.

Importance of Sulphur in Mustard Cultivation

• Sulphur is crucial for higher yield and oil content in mustard.
• Field studies indicate that nano sulphur improves plant height, branching, chlorophyll content, and biological yield.
• Nano sulphur can substitute up to 50% of traditional sulphur fertilizers, potentially increasing farmer earnings by ₹12,000 per acre.

Trial Methodology

• Trials conducted on two Indian varieties of Brassica juncea (mustard) during the 2023-24 rabi season in Gurugram, Haryana.
• Two foliar sprays of nano sulphur in liquid form were applied 35 and 50 days post-sowing.

Advantages of Nano Sulphur

• Addresses sulphur deficiency in soils, affecting up to 45% of Indian soils, crucial for oilseed production in regions like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Prevents leeching and ensures better availability of sulphur to plant roots.
• Offers a 90-100% availability for plants compared to 10-15% with conventional sulphur.
• Cost-effective for farmers, with a 500 ml bottle priced at around ₹450, significantly cheaper than conventional sulphur fertilizers.

Subsidy and Economic Implications

• For the 2025-26 kharif season, the government has increased the sulphur subsidy to ₹2.61 per kg, a significant rise from previous seasons.
• Sulphur subsidy saw the highest increase after phosphorus in the FY26 kharif season.

Environmental and Production Aspects

• The nano sulphur developed by TERI is a green product, using biological agents such as plant-promoting bacteria to transform bulk materials into nanoparticles.