Effect of nano fertilizer on yield and economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

A field study was carried out at the Student's Instruction Farm, CSAUAT, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, during the Rabi season (November-May) of 2022-2023 to evaluate the impact of nano fertilizers on wheat performance. Fourteen treatments were used in the randomized block design experiment, which was triple replicated. The results showed that, the application of 75% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) + PK + 4 ml nano urea lit-1 of water spray greatly improved yield parameters and economics, such as grain yield and straw yield. This treatment exhibited favourable effects and was comparable to the 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF-T2) with 120:60:40 kg NPK ha-1. Regarding yield, T14 had the highest grain yield (5.86 t ha-1) and straw yield (8.19 t ha-1), with T2 coming in second. Though T2 also demonstrated robust economic returns, treatment T14 yielded the highest gross return (₹ 1,43,802 ha-1) and net return (₹ 1,01,017 ha-1). The study concluded that nano fertilizers, particularly the combination of 75% RDN with nano urea, improved wheat yield and economic returns, making it a viable alternative to conventional fertilizers.