Effect of integrated nutrients management on yield and economic of wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) crop in central plain zone of Uttar Pradesh

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most widely consumed staple food crop of the world and ranks second after rice in India in terms of importance. It contributes nearly one-third of the total food grain production of the country and belongs to the family Poaceae (Gramineae). Globally, wheat serves as the primary food source for about two billion people, representing nearly 36% of the world's population. Wheat occupies a leading position among cereal crops worldwide with an average productivity of about 2.98 t ha -1 and is consumed by nearly one-third of the global population. Globally, wheat is cultivated over an area of about 220.29 million hectares, producing nearly 780.59 million tonnes with an average productivity of 3390 kg ha -1 . The European Union is the largest wheat producer, followed by China, India, and the United States of America. Over the past 15 years, wheat consumption has increased continuously due to rapid population growth. Major wheat-producing countries include China, India, USA, Russia, Canada, and Australia. In India, wheat is grown on a large scale, occupying a prominent position with a production of about 109.52 million tonnes and a productivity of 3464 kg ha -1 , ranking second globally after China (Anonymous, 2022-23a) [1] . Among Indian states, Uttar Pradesh leads both in area and production of wheat, contributing approximately 30 million tonnes, followed by Punjab (16.4 million tonnes) and Haryana (11.6 million tonnes), cultivated over areas of 9.75, 3.59, and 2.52 million hectares, respectively. Despite its dominance in area and production, the productivity of wheat in Uttar Pradesh (2661 kg ha -1 ) remains lower than the national average (Anonymous, 2022-23b) [1] .

Wheat is nutritionally rich and serves as an excellent supplement to the human diet. It contains 8.0-15.0% protein, 60-68% starch, 1.5-2.0% fat, 2.0-2.5% cellulose, and 1.5-2.0% minerals along with vitamins, particularly B-complex and vitamin E. It is utilized both as human food and animal feed (Rueda-Ayala et al., 2011) [9] . Wheat can be successfully cultivated across diverse soil types and climatic conditions, ranging between latitudes 30°-60° N and 27°-40° S, from sea level up to an altitude of 3658 m. In India, wheat is grown in almost all states except Kerala, with major production concentrated in Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Excessive and continuous use of chemical fertilizers has led to soil contamination, posing a serious threat to sustainable agricultural production. In contrast, bio-organic fertilizers are environmentally friendly and do not contribute to soil pollution (Sarker et al., 2020) [11] . Balanced plant nutrition through organic fertilizers plays a vital role in sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil fertility, crop quality, and productivity. Growing environmental concerns and increasing demand for pesticidefree and organic food have further intensified interest in ecofriendly crop production systems (Sivakumar, 2014) [12] . It is well recognized that neither chemical fertilizers nor organic manures alone can sustain crop productivity under intensive agriculture due to high nutrient removal and soil degradation. This realization has led to the adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), which involves the judicious and balanced use of chemical fertilizers along with organic manures such as farmyard manure, compost, vermicompost, green manures, micronutrient-enriched fertilizers, and bio-fertilizers including Azotobacter, Azospirillum, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Rhizobium, and potassium-mobilizing microorganisms. INM aims to maintain soil fertility and ensure optimum nutrient supply for sustained crop productivity (Ullah et al., 2021) [13] . Wheat being a nutrient-exhaustive crop, requires a substantial supply of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, for optimum growth and yield. The combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers improves soil organic matter, enhances microbial activity, maintains soil structure, and increases nutrient availability, ultimately promoting plant health and sustainability of the production system. Enhanced biological activity improves nutrient transformation, detoxification of harmful substances, and nutrient exchange capacity in soil (Chew et al., 2019) [2] . Nitrogen is the most critical nutrient influencing wheat yield and quality. Efficient nitrogen management, including appropriate rate, source, and timing of application, is essential to maximize yield while minimizing fertilizer losses. Adequate nitrogen increases chlorophyll content, carbohydrate synthesis, and protein accumulation in grains. Nitrogen deficiency leads to stunted growth, yellowing of leaves, shriveled grains, and reduced yield due to poor vegetative growth and inadequate flowering. Phosphorus plays a key role in energy transfer, photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis, nucleic acid formation, and nitrogen fixation. It enhances root growth, seed development, and maturity and strengthens stems, thereby reducing lodging. Phosphorus is often referred to as the "bottleneck of world hunger" due to its critical role in crop productivity (Kumar et al., 2022) [4] . Potassium is essential for activating enzymes, regulating water balance, improving photosynthesis, and enhancing tolerance to drought, frost, pests, and diseases. It improves grain quality and facilitates translocation of assimilates from leaves to grains, earning its recognition as a "quality element" in crop production. Therefore, balanced application of NPK fertilizers is crucial for achieving higher wheat productivity (Jabbar et al., 2009) [3] .

Although cereals require relatively lower sulphur, sulphur deficiency has become increasingly common. Adequate sulphur nutrition improves protein quality and baking properties of wheat. Hence, balanced fertilization including sulphur is necessary to achieve higher yields. Zinc is an essential micronutrient involved in enzyme activation, DNA transcription, and grain development. Zinc application improves pollen viability, seed formation, and grain yield in wheat. Similarly, iron is vital for chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and grain quality. Iron deficiency adversely affects wheat productivity and economic returns, making its balanced application essential (Saquee et al., 2023) [10] . Biofertilizers such as Azotobacter and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria play a significant role in sustainable agriculture by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, solubilizing soil phosphorus, producing growth-promoting substances like indole acetic acid and gibberellins, and enhancing nutrient uptake. Seed or soil inoculation with efficient microbial strains improves root growth, nutrient use efficiency, and crop performance (Panhwar et al., 2014) [8] . Therefore, an integrated nutrient supply system combining chemical fertilizers, organic manures, and biofertilizers is essential for sustaining wheat productivity and maintaining soil health.

Materials and Methods

The present investigation was carried out at the Student Instructional Farm of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during the Rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23. The experiment consisted of eleven nutrient management treatments, namely T1 (control), T2 (100% recommended NPK), T3 (100% NPK + farmyard manure @ 5 t ha -1 ), T4 (100% NPK + phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and Azotobacter), T5 (125% NPK + PSB + Azotobacter + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 ), T6 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 ), T7 (100% NPK + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 ), T8 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 ), T9 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 + iron @ 10 kg ha -1 ), T10 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 + iron @ 10 kg ha -1 along with Azotobacter, PSB, and FYM @ 5 t ha -1 ), and T11 (125% recommended NPK). The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications to ensure precision and reduce experimental error. Prior to the initiation of the experiment, the soil of the experimental field was sandy loam in texture with an alkaline reaction, low organic carbon content, and was deficient in available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium at the 0-15 cm soil depth. In wheat, grain yield refers to the economic yield obtained as harvested grains from a unit area after threshing and drying, while straw yield includes stems, leaves, and chaff excluding grains; biological yield represents the total above-ground dry matter production of the crop and is calculated as the sum of grain yield and straw yield. Straw yield is obtained by subtracting grain yield from biological yield. The harvest index (HI) expresses the efficiency of the crop in converting total biomass into economic yield and is calculated as the ratio of grain yield to biological yield multiplied by 100. HI (%) = (Grain yield / Biological yield) × 100.

In wheat cultivation, economic analysis is done by calculating the cost of cultivation, gross return, net return, and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio. The cost of cultivation (₹ ha -1 ) includes all expenses incurred on land preparation, seed, fertilizers, manures, labour, irrigation, plant protection, harvesting, and threshing. Gross return (₹ ha -1 ) is calculated by multiplying grain yield and straw yield with their respective market prices and then summing both values. Net return (₹ ha -1 ) is obtained by subtracting the total cost of cultivation from the gross return. The benefit-cost ratio (B:C) indicates profitability and is calculated by dividing gross return by cost of cultivation. B:C ratio = Gross return / Cost of cultivation.

Results and Discussion

Grain Yield

The grain yield of wheat exhibited considerable variation, ranging from 17.90 to 48.60 q ha -1 during the first year and from 19.84 to 49.93 q ha -1 in the second year of experimentation. All nutrient management treatments recorded significantly higher grain yields compared to the control in both years of the study. Among the different treatment combinations, T10 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 + iron @ 10 kg ha -1 along with Azotobacter, PSB, and farmyard manure @ 5 t ha -1 ) emerged as the most effective treatment in terms of grain yield during both years, followed closely by T9 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 + iron @ 10 kg ha -1 ), when compared with the control. The substantial improvement in grain yield clearly highlighted the significance of the combined application of organic manures, inorganic fertilizers, and biofertilizers. Greater variation in grain yield was observed between the first and second years, indicating a pronounced residual effect of applied nutrients during the second year over the first, irrespective of the fertilizer treatments. However, the overall trend of treatment responses remained consistent across both years of experimentation (Kumar et al., 2024) [5] .

Straw Yield

The straw yield of wheat showed wide variation, ranging from 26.87 to 63.15 q ha -1 during the first year and from 31.43 to 67.53 q ha -1 in the second year of the study. All nutrient management treatments produced significantly higher straw yields than the control during both years of experimentation. Among the different treatment combinations, T10 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 + iron @ 10 kg ha -1 along with Azotobacter, PSB, and farmyard manure @ 5 t ha -1 ) recorded the highest straw yield in both years, followed closely by T9 (100% NPK + sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 + zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 + iron @ 10 kg ha -1 ), when compared with the control treatment. The substantial enhancement in straw yield clearly demonstrated the importance of the integrated application of organic manures, inorganic fertilizers, and biofertilizers. Greater variation in straw yield was observed between the first and second years, indicating a positive residual effect of applied nutrients during the second year irrespective of fertilizer treatments. However, the overall response pattern of treatments remained similar across both years of investigation (Kumar et al., 2024) [5] .

Biological Yield

The biological yield of wheat increased significantly under all nutrient management treatments compared to the control during both years of the study. The highest biological yield, amounting to 111.75 and 146.0 q ha -1 in the first and second years, respectively, was recorded with the integrated application of 100% NPK along with sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 , zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 , iron @ 10 kg ha -1 , Azotobacter, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, and farmyard manure @ 5 t ha -1 . This treatment was closely followed by the application of 100% NPK combined with sulphur, zinc, and iron (T9), while the lowest biological yield was observed under the control treatment. The integration of sulphur, zinc, iron, biofertilizers, and farmyard manure along with the recommended dose of NPK resulted in a significant improvement in biological yield during both years of experimentation. Overall, all treatments were significantly superior to the control; however, the treatment combination T10 (100% NPK + S40 + Zn5 + Fe10 + Azotobacter + PSB + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 ) proved to be the most effective in enhancing biological yield, followed by T9 (100% NPK + S40 + Zn5 + Fe10), across both years. The significant increase in biological yield clearly demonstrated the importance of the integrated use of organic manures, inorganic fertilizers, and biofertilizers. Considerable variation in biological yield was observed between the first and second years, reflecting the cumulative and residual effects of applied nutrients (Pal et al., 2024) [7] .

Harvest Index

The harvest index of wheat was influenced by different nutrient management treatments and showed improvement over the control in both years of experimentation. The application of 100% NPK in combination with sulphur @ 40 kg ha -1 , zinc @ 5 kg ha -1 , iron @ 10 kg ha -1 along with Azotobacter, PSB, and farmyard manure @ 5 t ha -1 resulted in a slight but consistent increase in harvest index during both the first and second years.

The variation in harvest index between the treatments receiving 100% NPK + S40 + Zn5 + Fe10 + biofertilizers + FYM and 100% NPK + S40 + Zn5 + Fe10 alone was narrow yet statistically significant across both years. Overall, the harvest index values ranged from 48.02 to 114.61, indicating differential partitioning of total biomass into economic yield under various nutrient management practices (Kumar et al., 2023) [6] .

Economics

Cost of cultivation

The cost of cultivation (₹ ha -1 ) was computed separately for each treatment. The basic or common cost of cultivation remained uniform across all treatments, as operations such as land preparation, sowing, irrigation, and plant protection measures were carried out equally in all plots. Accordingly, the common cost amounted to ₹ 30,651 ha -1 during the first year of experimentation. In contrast, the treatment cost, which included expenses incurred on nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, zinc, and iron fertilizers, farmyard manure, and biofertilizers such as PSB and Azotobacter, varied among the treatments,

Conclusion

The study conclusively demonstrated that integrated nutrient management plays a pivotal role in enhancing soil health, wheat productivity, and profitability. Based on pooled data from two consecutive Rabi seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23), the combined application of 100% recommended NPK along with sulphur (40 kg ha -1 ), zinc (5 kg ha -1 ), iron (10 kg ha -1 ), biofertilizers (Azotobacter and PSB), and farmyard manure (5 t ha -1 ) proved to be the most effective nutrient management strategy. This integrated approach significantly improved soil physicochemical properties, growth and yield attributes, grain yield, and economic returns of wheat compared to other treatments. The results highlight that balanced use of inorganic fertilizers supplemented with organic and biological sources enhances nutrient availability, sustains soil fertility, and supports environmentally sustainable wheat production under the agroclimatic conditions of central Uttar Pradesh.

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