Effect of Optimization of Nitrogen and Sulphur Nutrition on Productivity & Profitability of Late Sown Wheat

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a vital cereal crop that ensures food and nutritional security for a large portion of the global population. In India, yield stagnation in major wheat-growing regions highlights the need for improved nutrient management practices. Nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) are essential nutrients that play a synergistic role in plant metabolism, contributing to the yield and quality. An experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2021–22 at the Agronomy Research Farm of NDUA&T, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, to evaluate the effect of split doses of nitrogen and graded levels of sulphur on the productivity & economics of late-sown wheat. The trial was laid out in a split-plot design comprising two factors each at different levels. First factor of N management strategies (N₁: 100% RDN basal, N₂: 50% basal + 50% after first irrigation, N₃: 50% basal + 25% after first irrigation + 25% at flowering, N₄: 25% basal + 37.5% at first irrigation + 37.5% at second irrigation) and second factor of different sulphur levels (S₁: 0, S₂: 20, S₃: 40, S₄: 60 kg S ha⁻¹) were compared and replicated thrice. Results revealed that split application of nitrogen as N₄ (25% basal + 37.5% at first irrigation), combined with S₄ (60 kg ha⁻¹), significantly improved growth parameters (plant height, number of tillers, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation), yield attributes (number of spikes m⁻², spike length, grains spike⁻¹), and grain and straw yields compared to basal application alone. Test weight remained unaffected. Maximum grain yield and economic returns were achieved under N₄ with S₃, which also provided the highest benefit-cost ratio (1.90). The positive effects were attributed to sustained nutrient availability, enhanced photosynthetic activity, and efficient translocation of assimilates. Thus, adopting a split N strategy with 40–60 kg S ha⁻¹ can serve as an agronomically efficient and economically viable practice to enhance productivity and profitability of late-sown wheat under Indo-Gangetic Plains conditions.