The present field experiment was done during the 2024–25 Rabi season at the Crop Research Centre, Maharishi University of Information Technology, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, to investigate the impact of different nutrient dosages on the development and productivity of wheat (
Triticum aestivum L.).
Three replications of each of the seven treatments were used in the Randomized Block Design (RBD) trial. The treatment structure comprised T₁: 100% RDF (control), T₂: 75% RDF + 5 t ha⁻¹ FYM, T₃: 50% RDF + 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM, T₄: 100% RDF + 5 t ha⁻¹ FYM + 5 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost, T₅: 75% RDF + 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM + 7.5 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost, T₆: 50% RDF + 15 t ha⁻¹ FYM + 10 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost, and T₇: 125% RDF. The wheat cultivar HD 2967 was selected for experimentation. Among the different nutrient combinations, the treatment receiving 75% RDF + 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM + 7.5 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost (T₅) displayed considerable improvement in plant height, tiller density, leaf area index, and dry matter accumulation during the growth period.
Additionally, this treatment yielded the highest grain, straw, and total biological yields; the control treatment (100% RDF alone) had the lowest values for all metrics. Offering contributing measures such as the number of earheads m², ear length, grains per earhead, spikelets per spike, and test weight indicated a gradual boost with increasing nutrient levels up to T₅, beyond which further nutrient addition did not offer significant benefits. The minimum expression of these features was recorded in the control plot. Overall, under the agroclimatic conditions of Lucknow, the integrated application of 75% RDF supplemented with 10 t ha⁻¹ FYM and 7.5 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost proved superior in improving wheat growth, yield attributes, and productivity. This can be suggested as an effective and sustainable nutrient management strategy for profitable wheat cultivation.
