Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) in timely sown wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L.)

Introduction

Triticum aestivum L. Wheat stands as a top global cereal crop that serves as the fundamental food source for three out of ten people in the world while representing twenty percent of human dietary energy (Shiferaw et al., 2013) [36] . The global population expansion indicates that wheat demand will surge by 60% before 2050 according to Ray et al. (2013) [29] . Various obstacles exist for wheat productivity which involves declining soil fertility and rising production expenses together with ecological problems from using chemical fertilizers excessively (Ladha et al., 2020) [17] . Huge reliance on chemical fertilizer usage in conventional farms triggers multiple environmental issues including declining soil health alongside water contamination and increased greenhouse effects (Kopittke et al., 2019) [14] . Soil organic matter has decreased and soil structure has deteriorated and nutrient use efficiency dropped when farmers omit organic inputs from their continuous chemical fertilizer use (Choudhary et al., 2018) [8] . Soil health preservation together with high crop productivity demands the creation and application of sustainable nutrient management practices to reduce environmental impacts. As an innovative agricultural solution Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) applies chemical fertilizers together with organic manures and biofertilizers to improve nutrient delivery and both soil productivity and nutrient resource utilization. Through INM practices different nutrient sources complement each other to deliver immediate crop requirements via chemical fertilizers and provide soil structure improvement and prolonged nutrient supply and microbial activity enhancement through organic inputs (Mahajan et al., 2019) [20] .

Multiple research investigations have shown that implementing INM techniques leads to positive outcomes in wheat cultivation. The combination of farmyard manure with 75% recommended chemical fertilizers produced wheat yields 15-20% higher when compared to 100% chemical fertilizers according to Chapagain and Riseman (2014) [6] . Kumar et al. (2017) [15] studied wheat cultivation under INM approaches which led to better soil health indicators through increased organic carbon together with raised nutrient availability. The success rate of INM systems depends on region-specific conditions involving soil types together with climatic parameters as well as particular mixtures of organic ingredients with inorganic chemical inputs. Research investigating INM for wheat cultivation has expanded but lacks a clear understanding of how farmyard manure and vermicompost performance changes cumulatively with chemical fertilizers and biofertilizers in various proportion combinations. The available assessments lack integration between growth parameters and yield attributes as well as soil health indicators in addition to economic returns evaluation. The research verifies three main objectives by examining (1) how INM treatments influence wheat growth parameters and yield attributes in timely sown fields and (2) how INM impacts soil fertility and biological properties and (3) which INM combinations produce the best economic outcomes. These research findings will assist in establishing sustainable nutrient management practices for wheat cultivation that combines productivity performance with soil preservation and economical factors.

Literature Review 2.1 Chemical Fertilizers in Wheat Production

The worldwide use of chemical fertilizers throughout the last decades has been crucial for boosting wheat yield production globally. The essential elements for achieving optimal wheat development include nitrogen (N) along with phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The addition of nitrogen controls plant development alongside protein generation and crop yield production according to Hawkesford (2014) [10] but phosphorus promotes root health together with essential metabolic processes to accelerate wheat maturity (Rose et al., 2013) [30] . Osmotic regulation and enzyme activation and stress tolerance rely on potassium for their functions (Zörb et al., 2014). Multiple scientific investigations have demonstrated how carefully combining chemical fertilizer improves wheat agricultural output. Wheat grain yield received an increase of 45-60% from recommended NPK fertilization applications compared to unfertilized conditions according to Singh and Agrawal (2018) [37] . The researchers found through their study (Pandey et al., 2020) [26] that balanced NPK fertilization led to a 12-15% increase in grain protein content and an 8-10% boost in thousand-grain weight when compared to untreated controls. Economic fertilizer use at extensive rates creates serious problems regarding long-term environmental viability. Yadav et al. (2017) documented the negative impact of using chemical fertilizers alone for ten years that led to acid soil conditions while reducing carbon levels and destroying microbial functionality. Plant uptake of applied nitrogen amounts to 30-50% and phosphorus uptake stands at 10-25% respectively as reported by Lal (2015) [18] in his study while the remaining amounts lead to environmental contamination through different exit routes.

Organic Manures in Wheat Production

Organic manures represent beneficial nutrient reservoirs that supply essential mineral matter which builds better soil properties through chemical along with biological and physical changes. Through wheat cultivation farmers widely utilize two major organic fertilizer sources namely farmyard manure (FYM) and vermicompost (VC). Farmyard manure provides 0.5-1.5% N and 0.4-0.8% P₂O₅ and 0.5-1.9% K₂O whereas it contains multiple trace elements (Bhattacharyya et al., 2015) [4] . Research studies demonstrate that wheat benefits from FYM application. Wheat production increased by 18-25% after Farmyard Manure application at 15 t/ha according to Karami et al. (2012) [13] because improved soil structure together with better water-holding capacity became the key factors. Vermicompost application enhanced soil organic carbon by 15-20% alongside available nutrient status through continuous application for three years according to Agegnehu et al. (2016) [1] . The nutrient concentrations in vermicompost surpass FYM levels (1.5-2.5% N, 0.9-1.7% P₂O₅, and 1.0-2.2% K₂O) while its nutrient release follows speedier patterns according to Lazcano & Domínguez (2011) [19] . According to Gopinath et al. (2011) [9] wheat crops received 5 t/ha of vermicompost showed increased yields ranging from 22% to 30% above control levels. Studies by Manivannan et al. (2009) [21] showed that vermicompost application improved the enzyme activities of dehydrogenase, urease and phosphatase thus enhancing microbial nutrient cycling in soils.

Biofertilizers in Wheat Production

Plant nutrient availability rises through biological processes achieved by biofertilizers which are microbial preparations that enhance soil fertility. Three biofertilizers frequently used in wheat cultivation are Azotobacter which operates as free-living N-fixers together with Azospirillum as associative N-fixers and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria known as PSB. Biological nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter and Azospirillum results in N release of 20-40 kg/ha and these bacteria also produce growth-promoting substances including auxins and gibberellins and cytokinins (Bashan & de-Bashan, 2010) [3] . The researchers at Rana et al. (2012) [28] discovered that wheat grain yields grew 8-12% better when plants received Azotobacter inoculation compared to non-inoculated plats. The root systems of wheat plants received enhancements following Azospirillum inoculation according to Vejan et al. (2016) [43] as this led to better nutrient and water assimilation. The conversion of insoluble phosphates into plant-available forms happens through bacteria-created organic acids and phosphatase enzymes (Alori et al., 2017) [2] . The research conducted by Tahir et al. (2013) [40] showed that wheat plants treated with PSB bacteria solution absorbed 15-25% more P along with a 10-15% grain yield increase. Phosphorus use efficiency received a boost from PSB application when these microorganisms broke down fixed soil P as well as applied rock phosphate (Sharma et al., 2013) [34] .

Integrated Nutrient Management in Wheat

Through Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) farmers can unite chemical fertilizers with organic materials and biofertilizers creating a compound strength between multiple nutrient sources. Numerous studies prove how INM creates positive compound effects which help wheat production systems. According to Mubarak et al. (2021) [23] , wheat yields remained equivalent to 100% recommended NPK treatments when farmers used 5 t/ha of FYM together with 75% of recommended NPK and simultaneously experienced substantial improvements in soil organic carbon and microbial biomass. Wheat growers who utilized 75% NPK in combination with vermicompost at 2.5 t/ha and biofertilizers obtained wheat yields that exceeded those of 100% NPK by 12-15% according to Choudhary and Suri (2014) [7] . Different operational mechanisms work together to improve the effectiveness of INM systems. Soil physical properties improve through use of organic inputs because bulk density, porosity and water-holding capacity (Thangarajan et al., 2013) [41] enhance root development and nutrient absorption conditions. The gradual nutrient release rate of organic sources matches the instantaneous availability of chemical fertilizers to create a better crop demand coverage during the entire growing period (Patra et al., 2019) [27] . The combination of INM practices increases the overall efficiency of nutrient utilization. Wheat production benefited from INM because the practice improved nitrogen use efficiency from 35% to 52% compared to sole chemical fertilizers according to Jat et al. (2018) [12] . Phosphorus recovery rates increased by 11% when chemical fertilization was combined with organic materials and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria leading to a total recovery of 29%. The implementation of INM demonstrates cost-effective potential by replacing part of the expensive chemical additives with nearby organic materials. According to Sharma and Mittra (2016) [31] an economic analysis resulted in net returns which reached 15-20% higher levels under INM practices compared to sole chemical fertilization through both reduced fertilizer costs and yield enhancement. The reviewed scientific literature establishes INM as a strong approach for achieving sustainable wheat production. The most beneficial approach to combining chemical fertilizers with organic manures and biofertilizers depends on individual soil conditions and climate conditions in addition to resource availability. The present research is necessary as current studies lack complete evaluations between growth parameters and yield attributes and economic performance and soil health indicators while using different integrated nutrient management combinations.

Methodology 3.1 Experimental Site and Soil Characteristics

A field experiment happened during winter period 2024-2025 on agricultural lands situated at Agricultural Research Farm of RAMA UNIVERSITY, Kanpur which has a location of -----′N, longitude ------′E while the altitude reaches ------m above mean sea level. Semi-arid subtropical weather conditions define this area where summers remain hot but winters develop cold temperatures. The farming region receives 750 mm of annual precipitation distributed as 80% during July through September monsoon months. The wheat-growing period temperatures from November through April reached maximum levels up to 36.2°C while minimum values reached 6.2°C. Soil investigators took combined soil samples from both the 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm soil levels before the experiment began to assess their physicochemical properties. The experimental soil possessed sandy loam texture (60.2% sand, 22.5% silt, 17.3% clay) and exhibited pH 7.8, electrical conductivity (EC) reached 0.32 dS/m with organic carbon measurement of 0.42% and available nutrient levels achieved 175 kg/ha, available phosphorus at 12.8 kg/ha, as well as available potassium at 168 kg/ha.

Experimental Design and Treatments

The experimental field followed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) structure using three replications and seven treatment solutions. Experimentary plots occupied a size of 5 m × 4 m (20 m²). Different treatment combinations included both the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) with organic manures and biofertilizers. T₁: Control (no fertilizers or manures) T₂: 100% RDF (120-60-40 kg NPK/ha) T₃: 75% RDF + FYM (10 t/ha) T₄: 75% RDF + Vermicompost (5 t/ha) T₅: 75% RDF + FYM (5 t/ha) + Biofertilizers T₆: 75% RDF + Vermicompost (2.5 t/ha) + Biofertilizers T₇: 50% RDF + FYM (5 t/ha) + Vermicompost (2.5 t/ha) + Biofertilizers

The biofertilizer consortium contained N-fixer Azotobacter chroococcum and P-solubilizer Bacillus megaterium and Ksolubilizer Frateuria aurantia which were applied at a rate of 5 kg/ha. The seeds received biofertilizer inocllumination through mixing these products with 10% jaggery solution followed by uniform seed coating. All seeds received an inoculation procedure that finished with shade drying before sowing.

Crop Management

The study chose Wheat variety HD-3226 as it demonstrates suitable response to the regional agricultural climate patterns. A single plowing operation occurred first then the field received two harrowing procedures so that it produced a smooth tilth surface. Wheat seed sowing took place on November 15, 2023 at 100 kg/ha seed rate with 22.5 cm row spacing. Researchers advised farmers to provide the recommended quantity of 120 kg N, 60 kg P₂O₅, and 40 kg K₂O across each hectare territory. Farmyard manure and vermicompost were integrated into the soil during a three-week period before sowing according to the allocated treatment procedures. Analyzing both organic manures prior to application revealed FYM delivered 0.52% N, 0.26% P₂O₅ and 0.55% K₂O yet vermicompost supplied 1.8% N, 1.2% P₂O₅ and 1.0% K₂O. The treatments with chemical fertilizers received nitrogen in separate doses where 50% was added as basal dose at sowing and the remaining 25% was given at the first irrigation (21 days after sowing) followed by another 25% at the second irrigation (45 DAS). The initial application occurred at sowing time for the entire amount of phosphorus along with potassium. The United Nations applied diammonium phosphate (18% N, 46% P₂O₅), muriate of potash (60% K₂O) together with urea (46% N) for fertilization. During the entire growth period of the crop five scheduled irrigations were applied when the crop reached important developmental phases including crown root initiation (21 DAS), tillering (45 DAS), jointing (65 DAS), flowering (85 DAS) and grain filling (105 DAS). Pendimethalin herbicide at 1.0 kg a.i./ha served as a pre-emergence treatment to eliminate weeds until farmers conducted a second manual weed removal at 35 DAS. The control regime adopted standard plant protection procedures for the area when necessary.

Data Collection and Analysis 3.4.1 Growth Parameters

A total of twenty-five plants received individual tags for multiple measurements at 30, 60, 90 DAS as well as at the harvest period. The following parameters were recorded:

• The measurement of plant height consisted of quantifying distance from earth surface to main shoot tip without including awn length using centimeters as the unit.

• The number of tillers per tagged plant was directly counted on the marked plants. • A leaf area meter known as LI-COR 3100 measured leaf area index by determining the relationship between leaf surface and ground surface area. • Flag leaf chlorophyll determination occurred with a SPAD meter (SPAD-502 Plus, Konica Minolta) to assess chlorophyll level.

Plants underwent drying in an oven at 70°C to obtain their dry weight measurements for g/plant expression.

Yield Attributes and Yield

Field scientists measured yield attributes such as effective tillers per plant along with ear length and spikelets per ear and grains per ear and 1000-grain weight from ten randomly selected plants per plot during the stage of physiological maturity.

• Number of ear-bearing tillers represents the effective tillers per plant. • The ear length measurement consisted of determining the centimeter length from ear base to tip without counting awns. • Counting all spikelets from each ear constituted the measurement for this attribute.

• Researchers counted all ear grains from each selected ear.

• The weight measurement of 1000 grains from bulk harvested plots evaluates their grams per kilo weight.

The research team manually harvested all the crops before they dried them in sunlight and separated the grain from the straw via threshing followed by cleaning before they obtained the weights. The data analyst converted both moistures adjusted to 12 percent before expressing the grain yield values as tons per hectare.

Straw yield measurement required a subtraction of grain yield from biological yield values before the outcomes were expressed as t/ha.

Soil Analysis

Researchers utilized 0-15 cm deep soil samples from every plot both prior to the experiment and after the harvest period for performing tests on different soil traits.

The digital measurement of solution pH and EC took place after suspending 2.5 parts soil with 1 part water.

• Organic carbon: Determined by the Walkley and Black wet oxidation method (Walkley & Black, 1934) [45] . • Multiple research methods determine available nitrogen levels in the soil using the alkaline permanganate method Subbiah and Asija (1956) [39] developed. • The Olsen et al. spectrophotometer method helped determine available phosphorus levels (Olsen et al., 1954) [24] . • The extraction of available potassium with neutral normal ammonium acetate solution followed measurement through a flame photometer as described by Jackson (1973) [11] . • Microbial biomass carbon: Determined by the chloroform fumigation-extraction method (Vance et al., 1987) [42] .

Dehydrogenase activity: Measured by the reduction of triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) to triphenyl formazan (TPF) (Casida et al., 1964) [5] .

Economic Analysis

Financial viability assessment took place through economic analysis methods to examine various treatments. All expenditures required for cultivation formation were compiled into one figure which encompassed expenses such as land preparation costs together with seeds and fertilizers and manures and biofertilizers and irrigation expenses and labor costs and plant protection activities and harvesting costs. The calculations of gross returns relied on wheat grain market prices set at $250 per ton and straw prices at $50 per ton. Figures were determined through an analysis that involved cost-of-cultivation reduction from gross returns. The benefit-cost ratio (B:C ratio) measured the value of cultivation costs against gross returns through cost of cultivation calculation.

Statistical Analysis

The researchers analyzed their collected data through ANOVA with standard random block procedure methods. The F-Test evaluated the meaning of treatment effects through its determination at a 5% probability level. Significant F-values resulted in the utilization of least significant difference (LSD) at p ≤ 0.05 for mean comparisons. The SAS software version 9.4 carried out the statistical analysis.

Results and Discussion

Growth Parameters 4.1.1 Plant Height

Different INM treatments impacted plant height measurement in a significant way throughout each growth stage according to Table 1. The initial differences in plant size were minor at 30 DAS until the crop entered later developmental stages where differences became substantial. The combination of 75% RDF with VC along with biofertilizers in T₆ produced the highest plant height of 98.7 cm at harvest. The control treatment T₁ showed the smallest plants with 78.3 cm at the time of harvest. (2018) [44] . Plant growth reached its maximum height under wheat cultivation through integrated nutrient management according to Sharma et al. (2016) [31] while chemical fertilization alone showed lower results.

Number of Tillers per Plant

Different nutrient management treatments significantly shaped the total number of tillers which each wheat plant developed.

The enhanced tillering under INM treatments occurs because improved nutrient absorption and better root development help stimulate new tiller formation. The organic matter coming from FYM and vermicompost improved soil physical qualities through their actions on root development at the same time biofertilizers made nutrients more accessible and synthesized growth-promoting compounds (Kumar et al., 2019) [16] . According to Meena et al. (2018) [22] the wheat plants cultivated with 75% recommended NPK mixed with vermicompost and biofertilizers produced the highest number of tillers.

Leaf Area Index (LAI)

The photosynthetic capacity measurement Leaf Area Index developed different patterns among treatments as it rose continuously from 0 to 90 DAS then decreased at harvest because of leaf aging (Table 2). T₆ registered the most elevated leaf area index of 4.83 at 90 DAS among all treatments and the other treatments ranked similarly with T₅ obtaining 4.62 and T₇ reaching 4.41 but T₁ maintained the lowest value at 2.87. Both T₆ and T₅ INM treatments led to an increased leaf area index because better nutrient access and boosted physical soil quality enhanced leaf growth and delayed leaf deterioration. Vermicompost and FYM organic matter services as a moisture conserving system due to better nutrient management and biofertilizers support enhanced nutrient absorption and growthboosting substance production (Jat et al., 2018) [12] . The research result match Singh et al. (2017) [38] who discovered that wheat under integrated nutrient management practice achieved optimal LAI when contrasted with sole chemical fertilizer use.

Chlorophyll Content

The SPAD meter analysis showed significant treatment variations in chlorophyll content which progressively increased until 90 DAS then decreased at harvest time.

The INM approaches lead to elevated chlorophyll content because they provide better access to nitrogen which forms a part of chlorophyll structure. Crop growth received sustained nitrogen supply from the combination of chemical fertilizers with organic manures and biofertilizers added to the available nitrogen resources (Sharma et al., 2018) [33] . Pandey et al. (2016) [25] discovered that wheat crops fertilized with integrated nutrient management showed elevated chlorophyll content as opposed to crops receiving only chemical nutrients.

Dry Matter Accumulation

Dry matter accumulation provided a significant growth indicator because it displayed notable treatment differences and continuous development from 30 DAS up to harvest time (Table 3). The experimental group T₆ achieved the highest dry matter accumulation value of 24.6 g/plant at harvest followed by T₅ with 23.8 g/plant and T₇ with 22.5 g/plant yet the control treatment (T₁) produced only 15.2 g/plant. Dry matter accumulation increased significantly in INM treatments T₆ and T₅ because these treatments led to better plant growth through higher plant height and tiller production and expanded leaf area index that boosted photosynthesis rates and assimilate generation. The combination of chemical fertilizers and both organic manures and biofertilizers provided a balanced source of nutrients across the growing season and the organic material enhanced soil physical structure to improve root health and nutrient availability (Choudhary & Suri, 2014) [7] . Maximum dry matter accumulation in wheat occurred under integrated nutrient management according to Kumar et al. (2017) [15] while chemical fertilization alone led to reduced accumulation.

Yield Attributes and Yield 4.2.1 Yield Attributes

Available nutrient management practices in wheat fields affected all yield attributes through effective tillers per plant and ear length and spikelets per ear and grains per ear and 1000-grain weight (Table 4). The combination of 75% RDF with VC and biofertilizers under treatment T₆ showed maximum yield attributes across all parameters which exceeded T₅ (75% RDF + FYM + biofertilizers) as well as T₇ (50% RDF + FYM + VC + biofertilizers). The control treatment T₁ exhibited minimal yield attribute values. [19] . Besides T₂ and T₃ and T₄ the T₅ treatment achieved superior results demonstrating the advantages of implementing biofertilizers together with chemical fertilizer.

Grain and Straw Yield

Different nutrient management treatments caused a significant impact on the yields of grain and straw (Figure 3). The T₆ treatment with 75% RDF + VC + biofertilizers yielded the highest grain production of 5.82 t/ha which matched a 34.7% increase above control and earned T₅ (5.64 t/ha, 30.6% above control) and T₇ (5.37 t/ha, 24.3% above control) as runner up.

The T₆ treatment showed both its peak straw yield at 7.95 t/ha along with the second highest grain yield value of 7.82 t/ha and the third highest straw yield value of 7.56 t/ha. T₅ and T₇ had lower yields with 4.32 t/ha and 6.18 t/ha compared to T₆ respectively. The integrated nutrient management in T₆ and T₅ resulted in higher production of grain and straw because these treatments achieved optimal results in plant growth attributes such as plant height, tiller count, leaf area index, effective tillers, ear length and grains per ear. The combined supply of chemical fertilizers with organic manures and biofertilizers maintained balanced nutrition throughout the growth period of the crop by improving soil physical properties and enhanced root development and nutrient uptake (Mahajan et al., 2019) [20] . When using T₆ (75% RDF + VC + biofertilizers) the yield quantity reached 10.2% above T₂ (100% RDF) levels therefore integrating vermicompost and biofertilizers enables saving 25% of chemical fertilizers without yield reduction. Treatment T₅ including 75% RDF and FYM together with biofertilizers achieved observed grain yields that were 6.8% greater than T₂ confirming that properly integrated FYM can replace part of chemical fertilizers in rice cultivation systems. Treatment T7 with 50% recommended chemical fertilizers combined with FYM and VC and biofertilizers delivered 1.7% better grain production than the complete 100% RDF in T2. This demonstrates that proper INM practices create opportunities to substantially decrease chemical fertilizer usage. The study results matched with Choudhary and Suri (2014) [7] who discovered wheat crop yields developed by combining 75% chemical fertilizers with organic manures and biofertilizers reached par or surpassed outputs from 100% chemical fertilizer applications.

Soil Health Parameters 4.3.1 Soil Chemical Properties

After wheat harvest the different nutrient management treatments dramatically impacted the soil chemical properties along with pH electrical conductivity organic carbon as well as available NPK (Table 5). The experimental treatments caused variations in soil pH from its baseline measure while Treatment 6 demonstrated the minimum value of pH 7.58 which was followed by T₇ (7.60) followed by T₅ (7.62). The reduction in soil acidity stems from both organic acid decomposition during organic manure degradation as well as nitrogen fertilizer acidification effects (Bhattacharyya et al., 2015) [4] . Soil organic carbon values rose dramatically in all treatments that included INM when compared to both their initial condition and the control treatment. The highest organic carbon level in T₆ reached 0.63% while T₇ reached 0.60% and T₅ recorded 0.59% but T₁ experienced a slight decline from its initial value of 0.42% to 0.40%. The INM treatments exhibited higher organic carbon content levels because organic manure applications as well as increased root growth composed part of the soil organic carbon pool along with carbon addition (Sharma et al., 2017) [32] . [8] .

Soil Biological Properties

Different nutrient management approaches influenced soil biological indicators with microbial biomass carbon reaching its peak in T₆ while dehydrogenase activity attained its maximum level in T₆ and T₅ and T₇ (Figure 4). The highest MBC measurement (285.6 μg/g) appeared in T₆ while T₅ (276.3 μg/g) and T₇ (268.9 μg/g) followed as the MBC results along with the control treatment (T₁) having the lowest MBC (162.5 μg/g). The treatments T₆ and T₅ along with T₇ showed elevated dehydrogenase activity levels with 28.7 and 27.2 and 26.4 μg TPF/g soil/day respectively, while the control displayed the lowest activity at 14.8 μg TPF/g soil/day. INM treatments notably advanced biological properties especially in T₆ and T₅ through their high organic carbon contents that enabled microbial growth and function as substrate.

The combination of organic manures and biofertilizers supplied both convenient carbon and energy substances to soil microorganisms and directly delivered helpful microbial populations to the soil system (Wu & Ma, 2015). The advantageous physical conditions of the soil resulted in improved air circulation and water absorption which helped to boost microbial numbers and strengthen their functioning. The indicator of overall microbial activity in soil dehydrogenase activity demonstrated a robust relationship with microbial biomass carbon (r = 0.92) which indicates microbial biomass enhancement stimulates microbial activity. The analysis lines up with Patra et al. (2019) [27] who detected meaningful improvements of biological properties in wheat soils through integrated nutrient management.

Economic Analysis

The economic examination showed that different nutrient treatment approaches created various expenses with opposing gross returns and net returns and benefit-cost ratios (Table 6). The cost of cultivation in T₇ reached $1,248 per hectare as the highest amount followed closely by T₆ at $1,235 per hectare and then T₅ at $1,210 per hectare whereas the control treatment (T₁) recorded the lowest cultivation expense at $862 per hectare. Treatment T₆ along with T₂ achieved maximum net returns of $618/ha and $663/ha because they produced outstanding yields of both wheat grains and straw despite their elevated cultivation expenses. The total B:C ratio in Treatment T₂ (100% RDF) reached 1.65 while T₁ (control) stood at 1.61 and T₆ (1.50) followed behind. The control treatment achieved a high B:C ratio even with low yield because the small input costs compensated for the reduced profits.

Treatment T₆ delivered the greatest net returns of $618/ha together with a B:C ratio of 1.50 due to its composition of 75% RDF combined with VC and biofertilizers. Only to achieve good yield did Treatment T₇ (50% RDF + FYM + VC + biofertilizers) provide the lowest financial returns of $468/ha and B:C ratio 1.38 making it the most expensive treatment among all treatments because of its excessive organic inputs usage. INM practices existing as treatments T₅ and T₆ proved beneficial for wheat production and soil quality enhancement though their cost efficiency fell behind traditional chemical fertilizer usage (T₂) due to increased organic material expenses. The slightly lower economic returns from INM practices should be viewed with sustainability perspective in mind since they demonstrate positive effects on soil health and environmental sustainability beyond one-year measurement periods (Sharma and Mittra 2016) [31] .

Conclusion

The research investigated how INM strategies affect wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth alongside soil quality and economic performance and yield development. Different findings lead to these following conclusions. 1. Integration of different nutrient sources led to superior wheat plant growth which manifested in increased plant height as well as taller number of tillers and bigger leaf area index and higher chlorophyll content and greater dry matter accumulation than the application of chemical fertilizers alone. 2. The wheat crop under INM treatments achieved higher yield levels together with improved yield attributes. The combination of 75% RDF with vermicompost plus biofertilizers in treatment T₆ allowed researchers to achieve a maximum wheat grain yield at 5.82 t/ha which exceeded control by 34.7% and 100% RDF alone by 10.2%. Vermicompost combined with biofertilizers enabled saving 25% of chemical fertilizers while maintaining equal yields with INM systems. 3. The combination of integrated nutrient management in T₆ produced much better results for soil health parameters such as organic carbon, available NPK and microbial biomass carbon together with dehydrogenase activity compared to fertilization with chemical fertilizers alone. Treatment T₆ achieved the highest results for soil health measurements making Integrated Nutrient Management an effective approach for environmentally friendly soil management. 4. The economic assessment showed INM treatments enhanced wheat production and soil quality but their financial gain was slightly lower than using chemical fertilizers solely due to organic material expenses. The slightly reduced economic outcomes of INM strategies could be acceptable regarding sustainability goals because of their enduring benefits for soil quality and environmental preservation. 5. The joint treatment of T₆ (75% RDF with vermicompost combined with biofertilizers) proved to be the most favorable INM combination because it delivered the best yield performance and environmental outcomes and costefficient results when compared to T₅ (75% RDF + FYM + biofertilizers).

An analysis exposes INM as an environment-friendly method that achieves wheat productivity enhancements through preserving soil quality and strong financial gains. The research demonstrates that strategic combination of chemical fertilizers and organic manures and biofertilizers diminishes fertilizer dependence without yield reduction for sustainable agricultural development. There is a need to lower the cost of organic inputs alongside developing localized INM recommendations to promote economic sustainability and broad-scale adoption among farmers.

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