Influence of integrated nutrient management on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major staple crops of India, contributing approximately 35% to the country's food basket (Singh et al. 2023) [13] . Belonging to the family Poaceae, wheat is widely used in bakery products such as bread, flour, pasta, biscuits, cakes, porridge, halwa, and most commonly, chapattis. Its high protein content, primarily gluten, makes it essential for baking and earns it the title "king of cereals." A key challenge in wheat production is enhancing grain yield while maintaining protein quality. India is second globally in wheat output, producing the crop on 31.8 million hectares and yielding 95 million metric tons (Bahaudin et al. 2022) [2] . Wheat is cultivated over more than 3.5 million hectares in Punjab. Uttar Pradesh ranks first in cultivated area, succeeded by Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, although Punjab excels in production (4531 kg ha⁻¹), followed by Haryana (4066 kg ha⁻¹) (Gulati, 2021) [4] . Wheat is as a functional source of energy and nutrients for around 55% of the global population. It is cultivated as bread wheat, durum, and dicoccum, contingent upon climatic circumstances and demographic requirements. Macronutrients, including N, P, and K, together with secondary nutrients such as S, Ca, Mg, and micronutrients like Zn and B, are vital for wheat yield and quality. Wheat grains include 12% protein, 2.7% minerals, 2% fiber, 1.7% fat, and 60-70% carbohydrates, yielding 327 kcal per 100 g, along with vital elements including dietary fiber, manganese, phosphorus, and niacin (Yadav et al. 2022) [14] . INM i.e. organic, inorganic, and biofertilizer sources to augment soil fertility, crop productivity, and environmental sustainability. INM enhances fertility of soil, alleviates nutrient inadequacies, and augments nutrient and water utilization efficiency. Integrating farmyard manure (FYM) with chemical fertilizers improves dry matter productivity, grain output, and straw yield (Lamichhane et al. 2022) [9] . Biofertilizers, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria i.e. Azotobacter (AZB) promote plant development, and boost soil health. AZB can fix 20-30 kg of nitrogen per hectare, improving effective tillers, grain count per ear, ear length, and total yield (Aasfar et al. 2021) [1] . FYM enhances soil fertility and growth attributes of plant resulting in augmented nutrient absorption and productivity (Bashir et al. 2021) [3] . Vermicompost (VC), generated via the bio-oxidation of organic matter by earthworms and microorganisms, enriches soil with nutrients and beneficial bacteria, hence increasing wheat yield (Lirikum et al. 2022) [10] . The prudent use of organic and inorganic fertilizers within INM mitigates the drawbacks of exclusive chemical fertilizer application and fosters sustainable wheat cultivation. The current research was examined the effect of INM on plant growth, yield attributes and yields of wheat.

Materials and Methods

During Rabi season of 2022-23, a field experiment was carried out at Experimental Farm, Department of Agriculture, Mata Gujri College, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab. The study aimed to evaluate the influence of INM practices on soil properties, plant growth, and yield performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under alluvial clay loam soil. The experiment was laid out using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 3 replications on wheat var. DBW-187. A total of 11 treatments were evaluated, namely: T 1 (Control), T 2 (RDF 75%), T 3 (RDF 100%), T 4 (RDF 75% + FYM 10 t ha -1 ), T 5 (RDF 75% + VC 5 t ha -1 ), T 6 (RDF 100% + VC 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter 6 kg ha⁻¹), T 7 (RDF 75% + VC 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter 6 kg ha -1 ), T 8 (RDF 50% + VC 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter 6 kg ha -1 ), T 9 (RDF 50% + FYM 10 t ha -1 ), T 10 (RDF 75% + Azotobacter 6 kg ha -1 ), and T 11 (RDF 100% + VC 5 t ha -1 + FYM 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter 6 kg ha -1 ) The experimental soil was moderate fertile had pH (8.13),. organic carbon (0.63%), EC (0.78 dS m -1 ), available nitrogen (295.85 kg ha -1 ), available phosphorus (295.85 kg ha -1 ) and available potash (295.85 kg ha - 1 ). The climate of Fatehgarh Sahib is warm and temperate type, the meteorological data recorded at the meteorological observatory of the Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab during the crop growing season (November-April). The area enjoyed the total rainfall (40.05 mm), minimum temperature (16.38 °C), maximum temperature (37.59 °C), maximum RH (40.1 to 94.4%) and minimum RH (14.7 to 86.6%). The seeds were sown at the rate of 90 kg ha -1 using line sowing, ensuring a depth of 4-5 cm keeping inter row spacing 22.5cm. The recorded data statically analysed by using MS-Excel and OPSTAT. The treatment means was subjected to analysis of variance as described by Panse and Sukhatme (2000) for Randomised Block Design and critical difference (CD) was work out at 0.05 level of significance for comparison.

Results and Discussion

Growth attributes

The data presented in Table 1 revealed that the maximum plant height (104.17 cm) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 which was at par with T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 i.e. 101.57 cm. The minimum plant height (79.67 cm) was recorded in T 1 -control plot. The maximum dry matter accumulation (669.89 g) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @5 t ha -1 + FYM @10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @6 kg ha -1 which was at par with the application of T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @6 kg ha -1 i.e. 661.81 g. The minimum dry matter accumulation (198.49 g) was recorded in T 1 -control. Similarly, the maximum leaf area index (7.67) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @5 t ha -1 + FYM @10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 which was at par with T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @6 kg ha -1 i.e. 7.11. The minimum leaf area index (3.01) was recorded in T 1 -control. These results might be due to application of inorganic fertilizers along with organic sources increases nutrient supply and rapid conversion of carbohydrates in to protein which is turn elaborated in to protoplasm. Also, readily available nitrogen and other essential nutrients produced taller plants and a greater number of effective tillers plant -1 produced more dry matter. Moreover, organic manure and Azotobacter delivered more nutrients, plants may have taken up and moved them better. It greatly increased plant growth and nutrient usage. Nutrients improve growth and yield These results are in close conformity with the findings of Reddi and Patil (2003) [12] , Rathwa et al., (2018) [11] Hadis et al., (2018) [6] and Gupta et al., (2023) [5] .

Yield attributes and yields

The data presented in Table 2 showed that the maximum length of spike (14.45 cm) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 and minimum length of spike (9.13 cm) was recorded in T 1 -control. The maximum number of effective tillers (379.67 m -2 ) are produced in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 which was at par with T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 i.e. 373.57 m -2 . The minimum number of effective tillers (308.33 m -2 ) was recorded in T 1 -control treatment. the maximum number of grains spike -1 (49.61) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 which was at par with T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 i.e. 47.93. The minimum number of grains spike -1 (32.23) was recorded in T 1 -control. Similarly, the maximum test weight (47.71 g) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha - 1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 and the minimum test weight (20.23 g) was recorded in T 1 -control. The data presented in Table 3 showed that all the integrated nutrient management treatment significantly influenced the yields as compared to control except harvest index. Maximum grain yield (52.97 q ha -1 ) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 , which was statistically at par with T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 i.e. 50.03 q ha -1 and minimum grain yield (20.15 q ha -1 ) was recorded in T 1 -control. However, in case of maximum straw yield (79.89 q ha) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @5 t ha -1 + FYM @10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @6 kg ha -1 which was statistically at par with T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @6 kg ha -1 i.e. 71.25 q ha -11 and minimum straw yield (47.43 q ha -1 ) was recorded in T 1 -control. Maximum biological yield (132.89 q ha -1 ) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 , which was statistically at par with T 6 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 i.e.121.29 q ha -1 and minimum biological yield (75.59 q ha -1 ) was recorded in T 1 -control.

Similarly, maximum harvest index (41.25%) was recorded in T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + FYM @ 10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 and minimum harvest index (37.23%) was recorded in T 1 -control. The higher yield attributes and yields is maybe due to additional supply of nutrients through FYM, vermicompost and Azotobacter which might have increased nutrient uptake and better translocation of nutrients. The minimum yields were recorded under control treatment (T 1 ) which was attributed due to fewer nutrients available to crop plants and poor yield attributing characters. In cereal cultivation, Khayat, (2021) [8] found that chemical fertilizers with vermicompost, FYM, and AZB boosted grain and biological yields Nitrogen role in the plant body may explain the growth character increase. N's main job is to help cells divide, develop, and become different tissues. When N is sufficient, plants grow taller, develop more tillers, and produce more dry weight per hectare. Because nitrate reductase is a key component of amino acids, which form protein molecules, increased N concentrations may make it difficult to synthesize protein in seeds. These results are in close conformity with the findings of Reddi and Patil (2003) [12] , Gupta et al., (2023) [5] , Kaur et al., (2019) [7] .

Conclusion

From the above result it can be conclude that amongst the treatments INM treatment T 11 -RDF (100%) + VC @5 t ha -1 + FYM @10 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @6 kg ha -1 recorded superior growth attributes viz. plant height (104.17 cm), dry matter accumulation (669.89 g) and leaf area index (7.67), yield attributes viz. spike length (14.45 cm), effective tillers (379.67m - 2 ), no. of grains spike -1 (49.61) and test weight (44.71 g) and yields viz grain yield (52.97 q ha -1 ), straw yield (79.89 q ha -1 ), biological yield (132.89 q ha -1 ) and harvest Index (41.25%) over all treatments. However, on yield basis T 7 -RDF (75%) + VC @ 5 t ha -1 + Azotobacter @ 6 kg ha -1 recorded higher yield over T 3 -RDF (100%), highlights the potential of INM in reducing dependency on synthetic fertilizers.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors acknowledged Dr. Dilip Singh Kachwaya, Assistant Professor, Department of Agriculture, Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India, serving as advisor and providing guidance for execution of the research trial.

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