Effect of Sulphur Treatments on Growth Parameters and Oil Yield of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.)

Sulphur is vital in crop life from germination to harvest and its impact on cultivation is undeniable. Its extinction causes several physiological problems in crops and makes them more vulnerable to biotic and abiotic stresses. Nigella sativa (black cumin) is mostly cultivated for its seeds. They are rich in fatty acids, essential oils, alkaloids and saponins. Two years experiment was conducted to investigate different sulphur fertilizers doses on black cumin growth parameters and oil yield. Different doses of sulphur (0, 1, 2 and 3 kg S da−1) were used in form of ammonium sulphate to black cumin. Different sulphur dose treatments especially 1 kg S da−1 had a significant impact on plant height, number of branches plant−1, number of seeds pod−1, seed weight pod−1, 1000 seed weight, seed protein content, yield, and oleic acid contents of oil. Application of black cumin with the optimum amount of sulphur in soil with high pH helped plants to adsorb sulphate easily and lead to an increase in black cumin yield. The most effective dose was determined as 1 kg S da−1 for black cumin cultivation in clay loam soils and climate conditions of Ankara in Central Anatolia.