Impact of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers on growth, quality, and yield of wheat

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers on wheat at the Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, Punjab in 2022–23 and 2023–24. The experiment had ten treatments involving recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) with organic and biological source such as farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC) and Azotobacter. Application of 100% RDF + FYM 2.5 t/ha + VC 1.25 t/ha + Azotobacter significantly improved growth, yield attributes, yield, and grain quality over the other treatments. Compared with 100% RDF, the integrated application of 100% RDF + FYM 2.5 t/ha + VC 1.25 t/ha + Azotobacter increased grain yield, straw yield, and biological yield by 25.9%, 20.3%, and 22.5%, respectively, owing to improved nutrient availability and enhanced nutrient use efficiency. The treatment also recorded the highest grain protein content, with an approximately 1.7% increase over 100% RDF, reflecting improved nitrogen utilization. The findings demonstrate that combining 100% RDF with FYM 2.5 t/ha, VC 1.25 t/ha and Azotobacter is an effective and sustainable nutrient management strategy for improving wheat productivity and grain quality under the agro-climatic conditions of Punjab.