Wheat production sustainability in India can be improved through Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), which combines chemical fertilisers, organic manures, and bio-inoculants to restore soil health and maintain productivity. The present study was undertaken during the Rabi season of 2024–25 at the Agricultural Research Farm of Udai Pratap College, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It aimed to assess the impact of integrated nutrient management on the growth, yield, and soil fertility status of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under the agro-ecological conditions of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The experiment consisted of seven treatments in a randomised block design with three replications, viz., T₁–Control, T₂–recommended dose of NPKS + Zn, T₃–50% recommended dose of NPKS + Zn, T₄–150% recommended dose of NPKS + Zn, T₅–recommended dose of NPKS + Zn + FYM + PSB + Azotobacter, T₆–50% recommended dose of NPKS + Zn + FYM + PSB + Azotobacter and T₇–150% recommended dose of NPKS + Zn + FYM + PSB + Azotobacter. All integrated nutrient management treatments significantly improved growth, yield and soil fertility parameters over control. Treatment T₆ recorded maximum plant height (93.40 cm), number of tillers (364.00 m⁻²), grain yield (46.45 q ha⁻¹) and improved soil fertility status after harvest. Superior performance of T₆ might be associated with balanced nutrient supply, higher nutrient-use efficiency and enhanced microbial activity due to combined application of inorganic fertilisers, FYM and biofertilizers. Excessive fertiliser application under T₇ possibly resulted in nutrient imbalance and comparatively lower microbial efficiency than T₆. The study indicated that integrated use of inorganic fertilisers, FYM and biofertilizers was found effective in sustaining wheat productivity and soil fertility under sandy loam soil conditions of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Patel et al. (Wed,) studied this question.