Effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and economics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under subtropical hill conditions

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world and serves as a staple food for a large proportion of the global population. It contributes significantly to food and nutritional security by supplying carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and essential minerals. In India, wheat is the second most important cereal crop after rice and plays a crucial role in ensuring national food security, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and hill agroecosystems. India is the second-largest producer of wheat globally, contributing approximately 13.18% of total world wheat production during 2019-2020 (MoA & FW, 2019). The crop is cultivated over an area of about 29.14 million hectares with an annual production of nearly 102.19 million tonnes (GoI, 2019). Wheat is primarily grown as a rabi crop and is generally sown during October-November and harvested between February and April under suitable climatic conditions (Dhamija et al., 2020) [4] . The optimum temperature for wheat cultivation ranges between 20-25 °C, which favors proper growth and grain development (Tripathi and Mishra, 2017) [26] . With the continuous increase in population and food demand, achieving higher wheat productivity has become a major agricultural priority. Over the past several decades, the intensive use of chemical fertilizers has significantly enhanced crop productivity and contributed to the Green Revolution. However, continuous and imbalanced application of inorganic fertilizers has resulted in declining soil fertility, nutrient imbalance, reduced soil organic carbon and deterioration of soil physical, chemical and biological properties. These problems are particularly severe in fragile hill ecosystems where soils are shallow and nutrient-deficient (He et al., 2024; Hyder et al., 2021) [8,9] . In recent years, growing concern regarding environmental degradation and declining soil health has shifted attention toward sustainable nutrient management practices. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), which involves the combined use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources, has emerged as an effective strategy for maintaining soil fertility and improving crop productivity. Organic nutrient sources such as farmyard manure (FYM), compost and vermicompost improve soil structure, microbial activity, water-holding capacity and gradual nutrient release, thereby enhancing soil health and sustainability. However, sole dependence on organic sources is often insufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of high-yielding wheat varieties during critical growth stages (Singh et al., 2024) [24] . The integrated application of organic manures and chemical fertilizers ensures balanced nutrient supply, improves nutrient use efficiency and enhances crop growth and yield. Several studies have reported that integrated nutrient management significantly improves growth parameters such as plant height, tillering, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation and grain yield in wheat compared to the sole application of either organic or inorganic fertilizers (Ahmed et al., 2023; Hyder et al., 2021) [1, 9] . Moreover, balanced nutrient management has been found to enhance soil biological activity, improve nitrogen use efficiency and sustain long-term soil productivity (Devi et al., 2025; He et al., 2024) [3,8] . Optimization of the ratio between organic and inorganic nutrient sources is an important aspect of integrated nutrient management. Appropriate combinations of nutrient sources ensure synchronized nutrient availability throughout crop growth stages and reduce nutrient losses to the environment. Previous research indicates that partial substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic manures can improve soil fertility, increase crop productivity and minimize environmental risks associated with excessive fertilizer use (Ahmed et al., 2023; Singh et al., 2024) [1,24] . However, the response of wheat to different organic and inorganic fertilizer combinations varies depending on soil type, climatic conditions and agro-ecological regions (Rakesh et al., 2025) [21] . Wheat cultivation in hill regions faces several production constraints including low soil fertility, poor soil structure, erratic rainfall and limited nutrient availability. These challenges necessitate the development of efficient and location-specific nutrient management strategies for sustainable crop production. Despite the recognized importance of integrated nutrient management, limited information is available regarding the optimization of organic and inorganic fertilizer ratios under the hill agro-climatic conditions of Himachal Pradesh. Furthermore, the combined influence of these nutrient combinations on growth, yield attributes and economic returns of wheat has not been adequately explored. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different ratios of organic and chemical fertilizer blends on the growth, yield and profitability of wheat under subtropical hill conditions. The findings of the study may help in identifying efficient and sustainable nutrient management practices for enhancing wheat productivity, improving soil health and promoting long-term agricultural sustainability in hill agro-ecosystems. Objectives 1. To evaluate the effect of different ratios of organic and chemical fertilizer blends on wheat growth. 2. To identify the optimum nutrient combination for maximum yield and profitability. 3. To develop sustainable nutrient management recommendations.

Materials and Methods

Experimental Site

The present investigation entitled "Growth Response of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Optimized Ratios of Organic and Chemical Fertilizer Blends" was conducted during the rabi season of 2025-26 at the experimental farm of Mahinder Agriculture Farm Solan-Arki region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The experimental site represents typical agro-climatic conditions of the region. The area falls under a subtropical climate characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The average annual rainfall is moderate and mostly received during the monsoon season. The soil of the experimental field was sandy loam in texture with good drainage capacity.

Climate and Weather Conditions

The experimental site experiences a subtropical climate with distinct winter and summer seasons. During the rabi season, the temperature ranges between 8 °C to 25 °C, which is favorable for wheat cultivation. The relative humidity remains moderate, and occasional winter rains contribute to soil moisture availability.

Experimental Details

Experimental Design

The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with eight treatments and three replications. Each treatment was randomly allocated within each replication to minimize experimental error and ensure unbiased comparison.

Treatment Details

The treatments consisted of different ratios of organic and chemical fertilizer blends The organic manure was applied on an equivalent nitrogen basis and incorporated into the soil during final land preparation.

Field Preparation

The experimental field was prepared by ploughing followed by harrowing to obtain a fine tilth. All weeds and crop residues were removed before layout. The field was then leveled and divided into plots according to the experimental design.

Plate 1: Land preparation of the experimental field before sowing of wheat crop at experimental farm, Solan Arki, Himachal Pradesh

Sowing of Crop

Wheat seeds of variety HPW-360 were sown on 25th November 2025 using line sowing method. The recommended spacing of 22.5 cm between rows and 10 cm between plants was maintained. The sowing depth was kept at 4-5 cm.

Plate 2: Seed sowing in experimental plots under irrigated conditions

Fertilizer Application

Chemical fertilizers were applied as per the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF). Nitrogen was applied in split doses, while phosphorus and potassium were applied as basal dose at the time of sowing. Organic manures (FYM or vermicompost) were applied uniformly in respective treatments and incorporated into the soil 2-3 weeks before sowing to ensure proper decomposition and nutrient availability.

Plate 3: Basal fertilizer application in experimental plots under irrigated conditions.

Crop Management Practices

All agronomic practices were carried out uniformly for all treatments:  Irrigation: Applied at critical stages such as tillering, booting and grain filling  Weeding: Manual weeding was done at 30 DAS  Plant Protection: Necessary plant protection measures were adopted to control pests and diseases  Thinning: Done at early stage to maintain uniform plant population

e) Harvesting and Yield Recording

The crop was harvested at physiological maturity during March-April 2026. The harvested produce from each plot was threshed and cleaned. Grain yield and straw yield were recorded and expressed on per hectare basis.

Statistical Analysis

The experimental data were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) appropriate for the Randomized Block Design (RBD) as described by Gomez and Gomez (1984) [7] . The significance of treatment effects was tested at the 5% level of probability (P = 0.05). Whenever the treatment effects were found to be significant, the treatment means were compared using Critical Difference (CD), also referred to as Least Significant Difference (LSD), at the 5% level of significance. [25] , Kumar and Yadav (2020) [11] and Sharma et al. (2021) [23] , who observed increased plant height in wheat under integrated nutrient management practices.

Number of Tillers per Plant

The number of tillers per plant was significantly influenced by different fertilizer combinations as shown in Table 2. Maximum tillers per plant were observed under 50% Organic + 100% RDF treatment, recording 5.2, 7.6 and 9.1 tillers at 30, 45 and 60 DAS, respectively. This was closely followed by 50% Organic + 50% RDF treatment. Increased tillering under integrated nutrient treatments may be due to continuous nutrient release from organic sources coupled with readily available nutrients from chemical fertilizers, which promoted vigorous vegetative growth and higher tiller formation. The control treatment recorded the minimum number of tillers at all growth stages. Lower tiller production under nutrient deficient conditions may be attributed to poor root development and reduced metabolic activity. The results clearly indicated that combined nutrient application enhanced nutrient use efficiency and promoted better crop establishment. Similar results were reported by Sharma et al. (2018) [23] , Patel et al. (2020) [18] and Meena and Verma (2022) [13] , who observed significantly higher tiller production in wheat with integrated nutrient management. [27] , Rai and Singh (2021) [19] and Kumar et al. (2023) [12] .

The dry matter accumulation of wheat increased significantly with crop age under all fertilizer treatments (Table 4). The highest dry matter accumulation was recorded in the treatment receiving 50% Organic + 100% RDF, which produced 33.2 g plant⁻¹ at harvest. This was followed by 50% Organic + 50% RDF treatment with 31.5 g plant⁻¹. Increased biomass accumulation may be attributed to enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, improved nutrient uptake and better translocation of assimilates under integrated nutrient management. The lowest dry matter accumulation was observed under control treatment. Insufficient nutrient supply in unfertilized plots reduced photosynthetic activity and plant growth, thereby limiting biomass production. Integrated application of organic manure and fertilizers ensured sustained nutrient availability throughout crop growth stages, resulting in better dry matter production. Similar findings were reported by Patel et al. (2018) [18] , Yadav et al. (2020) [28] and Chaudhary and Meena (2022) [2] . [19] , Meena et al. (2021) [13] and Kumar and Sharma (2023) [12] in wheat cultivation. [28] , Singh and Verma (2020) [25] and Patel et al. (2022) [18] .

Economics of Different Fertilizer Treatments

The economic analysis presented in Table 7 revealed that the maximum gross return (₹104,800/ha), net return (₹57,300/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (2.21) were obtained under 50% Organic + 100% RDF treatment. Higher profitability under this treatment may be due to increased grain and straw yields resulting from balanced nutrient application. Although organic treatments involved comparatively higher cultivation costs, integrated nutrient treatments generated better economic returns due to higher productivity. The control treatment recorded the lowest net return and benefit-cost ratio because of poor crop yield. The results indicated that integrated nutrient management is economically viable and sustainable for wheat production. Similar findings were reported by Chaudhary et al. (2019) [2] , Meena and Kumar (2021) [13] .

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that integrated nutrient management significantly improved growth, yield and economic returns of wheat under subtropical hill conditions. Among the different treatments, application of 50% Organic + 100% RDF proved most effective in enhancing plant growth, yield attributes, grain yield and profitability. The integrated use of organic manure and chemical fertilizers improved nutrient availability and soil health, thereby contributing to sustainable wheat production. Therefore, integrated nutrient management may be recommended as an economically viable and environmentally sustainable strategy for wheat cultivation in Himachal Pradesh and similar agro-ecological regions.

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