Effect of tillage, organic manures and fertilizer doses on productivity, profitability and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2015–16 and 2016–17 at Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, to study the effect of tillage, organic manures and fertilizer doses on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with 3 replications. There were 6 main-plots, consisting of combinations of 3 tillage (zero tillage, minimum tillage and conventional tillage) and 2 organic manures (vermicompost @ 5 t/ha and FYM @ 10 t/ha) treatments, and 3 subplots with 3 fertilizer doses (50, 75 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers). Significantly higher values of effective tillers/m², ear length, filled grains/ear, 1,000-grain weight, grain, straw and biological yields, harvest index, gross and net returns, benefit: cost and profitability were recorded under conventional tillage followed by minimum tillage. Application of 100% followed by 75% recommended dose of fertilizers recorded significantly higher effective tillers/m², ear length, spikelets/ear, total number of grains, 1,000-grain weight, harvest index and protein content. The highest grain (2.7 t/ha), straw and biological yields, productivity (15.59 kg/ha/day) and gross returns (61.56 × 10³/ha) were recorded with the application of vermicompost @ 5 t/ha. Application of recommended dose of fertilizers resulted in the highest grain (2.88 t/ha), straw and biological yields, gross returns (65.05 × 10³/ha), net returns (26.28 × 10³/ha), benefit: cost (1.65) and profitability (151.85/ha/day). Minimum tillage, vermicompost @ 5 t/ha and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers proved to be the best economical treatment for enhancing productivity, profitability and quality of wheat.