Influence of Different Organic Manures and Their Combinations on Productivity and Quality of Bread Wheat

Organic manures are a vital source of plant nutrients and act as the main pillar of sustainable agriculture. This 2-year field study was done to evaluate the influence of different organic manures and their combinations on productivity and grain quality of bread wheat. In a 2-year field experiment, there were eight organic manure application treatments: (1) control (no manure), (2) press mud (PM) 10 t ha⁻¹, (3) vermicompost (VC) 10 t ha⁻¹, (4) farmyard manure (FYM) 10 t ha⁻¹, (5) press mud 5 t ha⁻¹ + vermicompost 5 t ha⁻¹, (6) press mud 5 t ha⁻¹ + farmyard manure 5 t ha⁻¹, (7) vermicompost 5 t ha⁻¹ + farmyard manure 5 t ha⁻¹, and (8) press mud 3.3 t ha⁻¹ + vermicompost 3.3 t ha⁻¹ + farmyard manure 3.3 t ha⁻¹. Overall, the increase in grain yield from organic manures application (press mud, vermicompost and farmyard manure), alone and in combinations, was VC > VC + FYM > FYM > PM + VC > PM > PM + VC + FYM > PM + FYM with 68, 66, 55, 53, 38, 36, and 30% increase as compared to control during both years. The highest improvement (14.1%) in grain protein contents was recorded from vermicompost as compared to control during both years. Application of different organic manures, alone and in combinations, were cost effective. However, the highest benefit-cost ratio (1.56) was recorded from the farmyard manure application. Sole and combined application of organic manures improved the productivity and quality of bread wheat. However, the highest productivity and profitability were recorded from the application of vermicompost and farmyard manure, respectively.