Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management with Nitrogen and Plant Growth Regulators on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Growth and Yield

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major staple crop and a cornerstone of global food security, yet its productivity is increasingly constrained by rising population demand, climatic variability, and soil nutrient depletion. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), which combines inorganic fertilisers with organic amendments and biofertilizers, offers a sustainable pathway to enhance yield, nutrient-use efficiency, and soil health. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024–25 at Sanjeev Agrawal Global Educational University, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen levels (50–130% RDN) and foliar application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on the growth and yield performance of wheat. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. Growth parameters (plant population, height, tiller number, dry matter accumulation) and yield attributes (spike density, spike length, grains per spike, test weight), along with grain, straw, and biological yields, were recorded. The findings revealed that higher nitrogen doses in combination with PGRs significantly enhanced both vegetative and reproductive traits. The treatment with 130% RDN + PGR produced the highest grain yield (41.2 q/ha) and biological yield (85.2 q/ha), representing increases of 80.7% and 56.9%, respectively, over the control. Improvements were also observed in straw yield, spike density, and grains per spike under INM treatments. Overall, the study demonstrates that INM, particularly when integrated with plant growth regulators, is a scientifically robust, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable strategy for improving wheat productivity and resilience under subtropical conditions.