Performance of wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) under different fertilizers and irrigation levels

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops globally and plays a vital role in food and nutritional security. India is among the leading wheat-producing countries, where the crop occupies about 31.25 million hectares with production of approximately 115.60 million tonnes during 2024-25 (FAOSTAT, 2025; Anonymous, 2025) [2,1] . With limited scope for horizontal expansion of cultivated land, increasing wheat productivity through efficient management of available resources has become essential. Among the major production inputs, fertilizer and irrigation play crucial roles in realizing the yield potential of wheat. Balanced fertilization, particularly adequate nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, promotes vegetative growth, tillering, photosynthetic activity and grain development (Jiang et al., 2004; Bloom, 2015) [4,3] . Similarly, timely irrigation at critical crop growth stages ensures adequate soil moisture, improves nutrientuse efficiency and enhances yield and water productivity (Hira, 2009) [5] . In the arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, limited water availability and declining groundwater resources necessitate efficient irrigation scheduling. Wheat yield can be substantially affected when moisture stress occurs during critical stages such as crown root initiation, tillering, jointing, flowering and grain filling. Therefore, identification of suitable combinations of irrigation scheduling and fertilizer application is essential for achieving higher productivity and profitability. Keeping these considerations in view, the present investigation entitled "Performance of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Different Fertilizers and Irrigation Levels" was conducted to evaluate the effects of different irrigation schedules and fertilizer levels on wheat growth, yield and economic returns under the agroclimatic conditions of Jaipur, Rajasthan. The study also aimed to identify an efficient combination of fertilizer and irrigation management for sustainable wheat production.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2025-26 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, Rajasthan. The experiment was undertaken to evaluate the performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different irriga tion schedules and fertilizer levels. The experiment consisted of four irrigation levels: I 1 -irrigation at CRI + tillering, I 2 -CRI + tillering + jointing, I 3 -CRI + tillering + jointing + milk stage, and I 4 -CRI + tillering + jointing + milk + dough stages. Four fertilizer levels were evaluated: F 1 -control, F 2 -50% RDF, F 3 -100% RDF and F 4 -125% RDF. The treatments were evaluated in a factorial experimental design with appropriate replication. Observations on plant height and dry matter accumulation were recorded at 30, 60, 90 DAS and harvest. Yield attributes, including total and effective tillers, spike length, grains per spike and test weight, were recorded at maturity. Grain, straw and biological yields were expressed in q ha -1 , and harvest index was calculated. Economic analysis was performed by calculating gross return, net return and benefit (B) ratio. The recorded data were subjected to statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the significance of irrigation, fertilizer and their interaction. Treatment means were compared using the critical difference (CD) at the 5% level of significance.

Results and Discussion

Growth attributes

Plant height was significantly influenced by irrigation and fertilizer levels at 30, 60, 90 DAS and harvest, whereas their interaction was non-significant (Table 4.1). Among irrigation treatments, I 4 (irrigation at CRI + tillering + jointing + milk + dough stages) recorded the maximum plant height of 20.48, 46.27, 78.72 and 93.33 cm at 30, 60, 90 DAS and harvest, respectively, while I 1 recorded the minimum values of 16.25, 36.72, 62.47 and 74.08 cm. The superior growth under I 4 may be attributed to adequate soil moisture availability during critical growth stages, which enhanced nutrient uptake, photosynthetic activity and cell expansion. Similar improvement in wheat growth and yield with appropriate irrigation scheduling has been reported by Singh et al. (2011) [6] . Among fertilizer treatments, F 4 (125% RDF) recorded the maximum plant height at all stages, although it was statistically at par with F 3 (100% RDF). The lowest values were recorded under the control. Increased nutrient availability, particularly nitrogen, promotes vegetative growth and chlorophyll formation. However, the comparable performance of F 3 and F 4 indicates that application beyond the recommended fertilizer dose did not provide a proportionate improvement in plant height. Similar findings regarding the limited yield advantage from excessive nitrogen application have been reported by Singh et al. (2011) [6] . 3.1.2 Dry matter accumulation Dry matter accumulation was significantly affected by irrigation and fertilizer levels at all stages, whereas their interaction was non-significant (Table 4.2). I 4 recorded the highest dry matter accumulation of 11.39, 37.50, 160.86 and 243.46 g m -2 at 30, 60, 90 DAS and harvest, respectively, compared with 7.21, 23.74, 101.88 and 154.20 g m⁻² under I 1 . The higher biomass under adequate irrigation may be attributed to improved leaf development, photosynthetic activity and assimilate production. Irrigation during critical reproductive stages helps maintain crop growth and grain-filling capacity (Singh et al., 2011) [6] . F 4 recorded the maximum dry matter accumulation at all stages, while F 3 was statistically close to F 4 . The control recorded the minimum values. The increase in biomass with fertilizer application may be associated with improved nutrient availability and enhanced photosynthetic capacity. Thus, adequate irrigation and balanced fertilizer application promoted greater crop biomass.

Yield and yield-attributing traits

Irrigation significantly influenced total and effective tillers, spike length, grains per spike, test weight and yield. I 4 recorded the maximum total tillers (105.43 m -1 ), effective tillers (98.47 m -1 ), spike length (10.74 cm), grains per spike (48.94) and test weight (40.68 g), whereas I 1 recorded the minimum values. Adequate water availability during tillering and reproductive stages favoured tiller survival, spike development and grain formation. Similar positive effects of timely irrigation on wheat yield components have been reported under North Indian conditions (Singh et al., 2011; Singh et al., 2013) [6,7] . Among fertilizer treatments, F 4 produced the maximum total and effective tillers, while F 3 recorded the highest grains per spike (44.18) and test weight (39.96 g). Spike length was highest under F 3 (9.64 cm), which was statistically at par with F 4 . The improvement in yield attributes with fertilizer application can be attributed to improved nitrogen availability and crop vigour. Nitrogen management synchronized with crop demand has been shown to improve wheat yield and nitrogen-use efficiency (Singh et al., 2011) [6] .

Yield

Grain, straw and biological yields were significantly influenced by irrigation, fertilizer and their interaction (Table 4.8). I 4 produced the maximum grain yield (42.13 q ha -1 ), straw yield (74.63 q ha -1 ) and biological yield (116.76 q ha -1

), while I 1 recorded the minimum values. The greater yield under I 4 was associated with improved plant growth, tillering, spike development, grain number and grain filling. Studies conducted in North-West India have similarly shown that appropriate irrigation at critical growth stages improves wheat grain yield and yield components (Singh et al., 2013) [7] . Among fertilizer treatments, F 3 recorded the highest grain yield (37.45 q ha -1

), whereas F 4 recorded the highest straw yield (66.99 q ha -1

) and biological yield (104.05 q ha -1

). The similarity between F 3 and F 4 for grain yield indicates that increasing fertilizer application from 100 to 125% RDF did not provide a corresponding increase in grain production. This agrees with findings that excessive nitrogen application may increase input use without proportionate yield benefits (Singh et al., 2011) [6] . The irrigation × fertilizer interaction was significant for yield. The maximum grain yield of 43.85 q ha -1 , straw yield of 77.45 q ha -1 and biological yield of 121.03 q ha -1 were obtained with F 3 × I 4 (100% RDF + irrigation at CRI, tillering, jointing, milk and dough stages). The minimum grain yield (29.52 q ha -1

) and biological yield (79.97 q ha -1

) were recorded under the control combination. These results demonstrate the importance of synchronizing nutrient and water availability to maximize wheat productivity. Previous research has also reported significant responses of wheat yield and resource-use efficiency to combined irrigation and nitrogen management (Singh et al., 2011; Singh et al., 2017) [6] . Harvest index was not significantly influenced by irrigation, fertilizer or their interaction, indicating that the treatments increased grain and total biomass production broadly in proportion.

Economics

Economic analysis revealed significant differences among treatment combinations. The maximum net return (₹87,713 ha -1 ) and B:C ratio (2.40) were obtained with F 3 × I 4 , whereas the control combination recorded the minimum net return (₹47,663 ha -1 ) and B:C ratio (1.89). The economic superiority of F 3 × I 4 was mainly due to its higher grain and biological yields without the additional fertilizer cost associated with 125% RDF. Similar research has demonstrated that optimized combinations of irrigation and nitrogen can improve both wheat productivity and economic efficiency (Singh et al., 2011) [6] .

Conclusion

The experiment demonstrated that improved irrigation scheduling significantly enhanced wheat growth, yield attributes and productivity. I 4 was superior for most growth and yield parameters, while F 3 (100% RDF) was sufficient for obtaining maximum grain yield. The interaction of F 3 × I 4 produced the highest grain yield (43.85 q ha -1 ), straw yield (77.45 q ha -1

), biological yield (121.03 q ha -1 ), net return (₹87,713 ha -1 ) and B:C ratio (2.40). Therefore, under the conditions of Jaipur, Rajasthan, 100% RDF combined with irrigation at CRI + tillering + jointing + milk + dough stages may be considered the most productive and economically suitable treatment combination.

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16. 2026.v9.i9r.6701 International Journal of Research in Agronomy https://www.agronomyjournals.com 26180618, 2026, 9(9), Downloaded from https://www.doi.org/10.33545/2618060X.2026.v9.i9r.6701 by International Journal of Research in Agronomy on [29/09/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://www.agronomyjournals.com) for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License