Economic Analysis of Effect of NPK Levels, Organic Manures and Biofertilizer on Cultivation of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) Under Chironji (Buchanania Lanzan Spreng.) Based Agroforestry System
Jul 2026· RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary· Vol 11, pp. 47-54· 0 citations· 3 references
Abstract
A field experiment was carried out at the Forestry Nursery and Research Centre, College of Forestry, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to evaluate how varying levels of NPK fertilizers, organic manures, and biofertilizers influence the growth and yield of wheat cultivated within a Chironji-based agroforestry system. The experiment employed wheat variety DBW 187 following a randomized block design with three replications, encompassing thirteen treatment combinations. These included inorganic NPK fertilizers, organic amendments such as farmyard manure, vermicompost, and poultry manure, along with the biofertilizer Azotobacter, each applied at 75%, 50%, and 25% substitution levels. Findings revealed that a combined application of 75% NPK supplemented with 25% vermicompost produced the most favourable outcomes across both pre- and post-harvest parameters. Notable improvements were observed in plant height, tiller count, and leaf length during the growing phase, while post-harvest assessments demonstrated superior panicle length, grain count per panicle, test weight, grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index. Economic evaluation further confirmed that this treatment combination yielded the highest benefit-to-cost ratio, establishing it as the most financially viable option. The study concludes that partially substituting synthetic fertilizers with organic inputs, particularly vermicompost combined with biofertilizers, holds considerable promise for enhancing both the productivity and economic sustainability of wheat cultivation in Chironji-based agroforestry systems.
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.
Prabhjot Kaur, H. Meena· Journal of Applied Life Scie...· 0 citations
The increasing demand for livestock-derived products and the growing emphasis on sustainable agricultural production necessitate the development of efficient organic nutrient management strategies for fodder-based cropping systems.
A two-year field experiment was conducted at the ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, located in the Trans-Gangetic Plains of India, to evaluate the integrated effects of farmyard manure (FYM), plant biostimulants (
Panchagavya
and seaweed extract), and bioinoculants on the growth, yield, chlorophyll content, and energy fractions of fodder maize (
Zea mays
L.) and berseem (
Trifolium alexandrinum
L.). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with six treatments and six replications.
Among the treatments, T
3
(PGPR + 75% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through FYM + three foliar sprays of
Panchagavya
) consistently produced the highest growth, fodder yield, chlorophyll concentration, and energy fractions in both crops during the two experimental years. In fodder maize, T
3
recorded the maximum green fodder yield (32.4–34.7 t ha
-
¹) and dry fodder yield (7.4–8.1 t ha
-
¹). Similarly, in berseem, T
3
produced the highest total green fodder yield (57.0–58.5 t ha
-
¹) and dry fodder yield (7.6–8.1 t ha
-
¹), over the absolute control. Total chlorophyll content reached 2.39–2.43 mg g
-
¹ in maize and 2.29–2.32 mg g
-
¹ in berseem under T
3
, accompanied by significant improvements in digestible energy, metabolizable energy, digestible feed energy, and net energy. The PGPR + 75% RDN through FYM + seaweed extract treatment (T
4
) also produced significant improvements over the absolute control and ranked among the best-performing treatments across most measured parameters, demonstrating the potential of seaweed extract as an effective biostimulant in integrated nutrient management.
Overall, the findings demonstrate that integrating PGPR with 75% RDN through FYM and
Panchagavya
was the most effective strategy for enhancing fodder productivity, nutritive quality, and energy value, while the PGPR + 75% RDN through FYM + seaweed extract treatment also provided substantial benefits and represents a promising alternative biostimulant-based approach for sustainable maize–berseem fodder production systems.
Vrushabh Vijay Fiskey, Kamsali Sukeswara Achari, Shreyas Bagrecha et al.· Frontiers in Agronomy· 0 citations
Okra is an economically important vegetable crop with high nutritional value, widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions globally. An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of eight treatments on the growth, yield, and economic performance of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) under irrigated conditions in the Kilinochchi District, Sri Lanka, during September to November 2023. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Eight treatments (T1–T8) consisting of different organic manure applications, and the Department of Agriculture (DOA)-recommended chemical fertilizers were applied, including a control treatment without organic manure. Haritha okra was used as the test variety. Growth parameters including plant height, dry weight, and number of leaves, and yield parameters including number of pods per plant, fresh pod weight, and shelf life were evaluated. Poultry manure applied at 460 g plant⁻¹ (T2) recorded the highest plant height (31.4 cm), number of leaves (8.0 leaves plant⁻¹), dry pod weight (13.3 g plant⁻¹), fresh pod weight (130 g plant⁻¹), number of pods per plant (8 pods), and shelf life (5.7 days). Compared with the control treatment (T1), poultry manure increased plant height by 35.3%, fresh pod weight by 160%, and shelf life by 32.6%. No significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) was observed between T2 and T5 (cattle manure: poultry manure, 230 g: 230 g plant⁻¹). The highest benefit-cost ratio was recorded in T2 and T5. It can be concluded that poultry manure at 460 g plant⁻¹ was the most effective treatment for improving the growth, yield, and economic performance of okra under irrigated conditions.
N. Saheedha, K. Aafir· Knowex food and agriculture· 0 citations
A field experiment was conducted from October 2025 to March 2026 at the Research Field, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute (NAI), Faculty of Agriculture (FoA), Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), Prayagraj, (U.P.), India. During the six-month research programme, approximately 55 one-year-old wedge-grafted Hisar Safeda guava plants were purchased from the registered Zaid Nursery, Lucknow District, (U.P.), India. Approximately 45 plants were incorporated into the research trial, whereas the remaining plants were used for gap filling and replanting. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Block Design {RBD} with 15 treatments, each replicated three times. The experiment comprised fifteen treatment combinations, viz., T0:Control T1:FYM @ 5 kg per plant-1 T2:Vermicompost @ 10 kg per plant-1 T3:Poultry Manure @ 2.5 kg plant-1 T4:Bone Meal @ 2.5 kg plant-1 T5:FYM @ 5 kg per plant-1 + Vermicompost 5 kg per plant-1 T6:FYM @ 5 kg per plant-1+ Poultry Manure @ 2.5 kg plant-1 T7:Vermicompost @ 10 kg per plant-1+ Poultry Manure @ 2.5 kgplant-1 T8:FYM @ 5 kg per plant-1 + Vermicompost 5 kg per plant-1+Azotobacter+PSB (20g per plant-1) T9:FYM @ 5 kg per plant-1+ Poultry Manure @ 2.5 kg plant-1+ Azotobacter +PSB (20g per plant-1) T10:Vermicompost @ 10 kg per plant-1+ Poultry Manure @ 2.5 kg plant-1+ Azotobacter +PSB (20g per plant-1) T11:FYM @ 5 kg per plant-1+ Azotobacter +PSB (20g per plant-1) T12:Vermicompost @ 10 kg per plant-1+ Azotobacter +PSB (20g per plant-1) T13:Poultry Manure @ 2.5 kg plant-1+ Azotobacter +PSB (20g per plant-1) and T14:Bone Meal @ 2.5 kg plant-1+ Azotobacter+PSB (20g per plant-1). The results of the investigation revealed that the treatment T10 (Vermicompost @ 10 kg plant⁻¹ + Poultry manure @ 2.5 kg plant⁻¹ + Azotobacter + PSB @ 20 g plant⁻¹) was significantly superior to all other treatments with respect to the establishment of newly planted guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Hisar Safeda under meadow orchard conditions.
Albin Pious, Deepak Lall, Shilpa Rana et al.· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
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.
Yadav Abhishek Singh, S. Sanjeev, S. Krashankant et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
Background: Biochar application in combination with fertiliser may improve crop productivity and nutrient use while providing an avenue for utilising invasive biomass.
Aims: This study evaluated the effects of Lantana camara-derived biochar on cauliflower yield, nutrient uptake, quality and economic returns.
Study Design: The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design with nine treatments and three replications.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Soil Science and Water Management, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, from October 2023 to March 2024.
Results: The results of the present investigation revealed that the application of 100% RDF + 20.0 t ha⁻¹ biochar (T9) was the most effective treatment among those evaluated, consistently outperforming the remaining treatments across the major parameters studied. This treatment recorded the highest head and stalk yields, along with superior quality attributes of cauliflower, including maximum crude protein (14.26 %), total soluble solids (6.55 ˚Brix) and ascorbic acid content (54.02 mg 100 g-1). These results indicate that the sustained and gradual release of nutrients from biochar at this higher application rate created a favourable rhizosphere environment conducive to vigorous crop growth and development. In addition to yield and quality, treatment T9 recorded the maximum uptake of essential nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese) by the crop, reflecting the combined benefits of enhanced nutrient availability, improved soil physico-chemical properties and greater microbial activity associated with higher rates of biochar application. From an economic perspective, biochar application resulted in a higher benefit:cost ratio than the treatment receiving farmyard manure (FYM), indicating that the additional input costs associated with biochar preparation and application were compensated for by gains in yield and quality, thereby providing greater economic returns. Among all treatments, T9 (100% RDF + 20.0 t ha⁻¹ biochar) registered the highest increase in the benefit:cost ratio, amounting to 15.88 per cent over the FYM-treated control (T1).
Conclusions: These findings underscore the potential of biochar derived from invasive species such as Lantana camara as an eco-friendly soil amendment capable of reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers while simultaneously enhancing nutrient uptake and crop productivity.
Swapana Sepehya, Dikshant Chauhan, Anil Kumar et al.· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
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