Comparative Effect of Organic and Inorganic Sources of Nutrients on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Effect of Inorganic Fertilizers and Organic Manures on Growth, Yield and Economics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2024–25 and 2025–26 at the Experimental Farm, School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, RIMT University, Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab, India, to evaluate the effects of inorganic fertilisers, organic manures, zinc sulphate (ZnSO₄), and Azotobacter on the growth, yield, and economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Block Design (RBD) comprising twelve treatments with three replications. The treatments consisted of different combinations of the recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF), farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost, poultry manure, ZnSO₄, and Azotobacter. The results revealed that integrated nutrient management significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved plant height, leaf area index, tiller density, dry matter accumulation, grain yield, straw yield, harvest index, and economic returns compared with the control. Among the treatments, 75% RDF + 1.25 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost + 20 kg ZnSO₄ ha⁻¹ + 5 kg Azotobacter ha⁻¹ (T₁₁) recorded the highest grain yield of 4856.40 kg ha⁻¹ and 4912.00 kg ha⁻¹ during 2024–25 and 2025–26, respectively. The same treatment also produced the highest net returns of ₹70,493 ha⁻¹ and ₹72,546 ha⁻¹ during the respective years. These findings indicate that the integrated application of 75% RDF, vermicompost, ZnSO₄, and Azotobacter can effectively enhance wheat productivity and profitability while reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers under the agro-climatic conditions of Punjab, India.

Growth and yield performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties under integrated nutrient management

Wheat productivity is constrained by declining soil fertility and low nutrient-use efficiency resulting from the continuous dependence on chemical fertilizers. Integrated Nutrient Management, through the judicious integration of organic, inorganic, and biological nutrient sources, offers a sustainable approach to enhance crop growth, yield, soil health, and long-term productivity; however, its effectiveness in combination with nano-fertilizers requires further evaluation. Therefore, a field experiment was planned during the Rabi season of 2024-25 and 2025-26, at the research farm of Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana. The experiment was laid out in a two-factorial randomized block design with three replications. Factor A comprised two wheat varieties (WH 1270 and DBW 222), while Factor B consisted of eight nutrient management treatments involving RDF, vermicompost (2 t/ha), foliar nano urea (1250 mL/ha), foliar nano DAP (1250 mL/ha), and Azotobacter applied alone or in combination. The pooled data revealed that the variety DBW 222 showed significantly higher plant height (94.34 cm), number of tillers/meter row length (65.77), DMA/meter row length (224.82 g), LAI (5.56), spike length (9.84 cm), grains/spikes (48.31), effective tillers/m2 (300.80), test weight (40.27 g), grain yield (5042 kg/ha) and straw yield (6651 kg/ha) over variety WH 1270. Among various nutrient combinations, maximum plant height (104.65 cm), number of tillers/meter row length (70.51), DMA/meter row length (251.73 g), LAI (6.18), spike length (10.88 cm), grains/spikes (51.37), effective tillers/m2 (322.57), test weight (42.21 g), grain yield (5642 kg/ha) and straw yield (7439 kg/ha) was recorded with treatment T3 (100% RDF with vermicompost @ 2t/ha) which was found at par with T5 and T4. These treatments were found superior over T2, T6, T8 and T7. The least were found in T1

Effects of System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) Practices and Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Background: Wheat productivity under the System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) depends on appropriate crop and nutrient management. Adequate and balanced nutrient supply can support improved vegetative growth and yield formation under SWI. However, information on the comparative response of wheat to different nutrient levels supplied through chemical fertilisers and farmyard manure under SWI conditions in Logar, Afghanistan, remains limited. Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of System of Wheat Intensification practices and nutrient management on the growth characteristics and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Study Design: Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD). Place and Duration of Study: A field experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Logar University, Logar, Afghanistan, during 2024 to evaluate the effects of different nutrient management treatments under the System of Wheat Intensification on the growth and grain yield attributes of wheat. Methodology: The experiment comprised eight treatments arranged in an RCBD: T1 (control), T2 (25% RDF (NP 30,15 kg/ha), T3 (50% RDF (NP 60,30 kg/ha), T4 (75% RDF (NP 90,45 kg/ha), T5 (100% RDF (NP 120,60 kg/ha), T6 (25% RDF through FYM), T7 (50% RDF through FYM), and T8 (100% RDF through FYM). Result: Results showed that T8 produced the highest number of spikelets per spike (21.17), which was not statistically different from T5 (20.97) and T4 (20.60). Likewise, the maximum number of grains per spike (44.17) was noted in T8, which was not significantly different from T5 (43.00) and T4 (41.67). The highest grain yield (4.73 t/ha) was obtained in T8, which was statistically at par with T5 (4.47 t/ha). These treatments were significantly superior to the control (T1). The experiment indicated that full RDF, whether supplied through chemical fertilisers or FYM, significantly improved grain yield, tillers per plant, spike length, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, and 1000-grain weight under the system of wheat intensification.

Combined Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Sources on Nutrient (N, P, and K) Use Efficiency of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Evaluation of the effect of organic manure, inorganic fertilisers and bio-inoculants on plant growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The declining productivity of rice and deterioration of soil health associated with conventional rice cultivation necessitate the adoption of sustainable nutrient management strategies. Field experiments were conducted during the Kharif seasons of 2021–22 and 2022–23 at the Students’ Instructional Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, to evaluate the effects of organic manure, inorganic fertilisers and bio-inoculants on the growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment comprised 18 treatment combinations arranged in a randomised block design with 3 replications, involving different combinations of inorganic fertilisers, organic manures and biofertilisers. The results indicated that among the various growth parameters, the maximum plant height (99.15 cm and 99.85 cm), number of tillers (409.4 m-2 and 412.25 m-2), dry matter accumulation (760.48 g m-2 and 764.34 g m-2) and leaf area index (4.32 and 4.37) were recorded during 2021–22 and 2022–23, respectively, under treatment T17 (100 % NPK + 5 t ha-1 FYM + Azolla 300 kg ha-1 + S 30 kg ha-1 + Zn 5 kg ha-1). These findings highlight the synergistic effects of integrating organic and inorganic nutrient sources along with bio-inoculants. This integrated approach enhances crop performance, improves soil sustainability and ensures better economic returns, making it a promising strategy for modern rice farming systems.

Residual efficacy of biochar and organic-inorganic nutrient sources on growth efficiency and yield potential of green gram (Vigna radiata L.) under a wheat-green gram cropping system

The present investigation was carried out at the research farm of Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab. The wheat–green gram field experiment was conducted to evaluate the residual effect of different biochar sources and nutrient management on growth and yield potential of green gram. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three biochar sources i.e., paddy straw biochar (B1), red gram stover biochar (B2) and cotton stover biochar (B3) as main plot and four nutrient management practices as sub-plots, which were 100 % recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF) (N1), 70 % RDF + foliar spray (FS) of liquid compost (N2), 70 % RDF + FS of nano diammonium phosphate (DAP) (N3) and control (N4) with three replications. The results revealed that B3 recorded higher plant height, higher accumulation of biomass, leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll index and yield attributes than other biochar sources. Similarly, the residual effect of 100 % RDF (N1) recorded significantly higher growth and yield attributes than other nutrient management practices. Therefore, the interaction treatment B3N1 recorded the significantly highest grain yield (21.92 q ha-1) and straw yield (40.52 q ha-1). However, 70 % RDF with liquid compost or nano DAP can also be used to supplement or partially substitute for synthetic fertilisers and act as a sustainable crop production system. These findings highlight the potential of biochar blended nutrient management in optimising green gram productivity while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilisers.