Impact of Paddy Straw and Bio based Inoculants on Wheat Productivity and Soil Health

The study was carried out during the rabi season of 2023–24 at the Instructional Farm of Kamla Nehru Institute of Physical and Social Sciences, Sultanpur (U.P), to evaluate the “Impact of paddy straw and biobased inoculants on wheat productivity and Soil Health.” The experiment included five treatments: T1 (Control), T2 (100% RDF NPK @ 120:60:40 kg/ha), T3 (75% RDF NPK @ 90:45:35 kg/ha), T4 (T3 + Paddy Straw @ 5 t/ha), and T5 (T3 + Paddy Straw @ 5 t/ha + Microbial Decomposer Consortium @ 100 mL/plot), arranged in a Randomized Block Design with four replications. Wheat variety PBW-373 was used. Among all treatments, T2 showed the best results, significantly enhancing plant height, dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, tiller number, spike characteristics, and yields (grain, straw, and biological). It also improved the harvest index and soil fertility status (N, P, K content), microbial population, and post-harvest soil chemical properties. Additionally, T2 provided the highest net return, making it the most effective treatment in terms of productivity, soil health, and economic viability.