This work contains an account of the status of knowledge and a detailed analysis of all aspects of sulphur, that is: the global S cycle; the present and future scenario of fertilizer demand and supply; management strategies of soil sulphur; uptake, assimilation and redistribution of sulphur in plants; biosynthesis and functions of various sulphur metabolites (glucosinolates, phytochelatins, metallothionine, sulpholipids, thiols) involved in defense systems of plants against the stresses of their environment; the role of sulphur in improving the quality of legume, cereals and oilseeds; interaction of sulphur with other nutrients; and the use of biologically active sulphur compounds of plant origin in medicine. It is an authoritative review of the present status of knowledge of sulphur in 2003, and its availability for the improvement of crop production and quality, written by experts from all parts of the world, which will help to identify those research areas that need further exploration.This volume should be useful for graduate and post-graduate students and research workers in agronomy, plant physiology, plant molecular biology, plant biochemistry, and for environment and fertilizer industries/associations.
