Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Productivity of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Vindhyan Hill

Abstract

Wheat is the second most important food grain after rice, contributing nearly 20% of the total food grain supply. A field experiment was conducted during Rabi 2024–25 at the Agronomy Farm, SAGE University, Bhopal to evaluate the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) on growth, yield, and soil fertility of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment comprised seven treatments laid out in randomized block design with three replications, including combinations of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), farmyard manure (FYM), and bio-fertilizers (Azoto-bacter, PSB, KSB).Results revealed that treatment T7 (75% RDF + 5 t FYM ha⁻¹ + Azoto-bacter + PSB + KSB) significantly enhanced growth of attributes such as plant height, tiller number, and dry matter accumulation compared to control treatment, and it was statistically at par with T2 (100% RDF) and T4 (75% RDF + FYM + Azoto-bacter). Yield attributes (grain yield, effective tillers, grain weight per plant) and economic returns (GMR, NMR, B:C ratio) were also highest under T7. Post-harvest soil fertility showed improvement in available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels. Thus, integrating 75% RDF with FYM and bio-fertilizers is not only agronomical efficient but also sustainable for long-term soil health and productivity of wheat crop.