ACIAR-funded research has led to significant advances in the understanding and management of the sulfur cycle in flooded and non-flooded cropping systems. Key factors have been identified and include the current soil sulfur status and the ability of the soil to retain added sulfur. Furthermore, incidental additions were monitored in rainfall and irrigation water as well as the most appropriate sulfur fertiliser source for a given soil/crop/climate situation. This small project is designed to transfer technology on rainfall collection devices to assess the agricultural significance of sulfur inputs from urban and industrial processes. Other methods for studying sulfur cycling in Chinese cropping systems will be used to assess the need for and improve the efficiency of sulfur fertilisers for rice and rape.