Volume 14, Issue 55, 2025 (July – September)
Research Article
Effect of Vermicompost and Zinc Levels on Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Anisha Yadav, Mahipal Dudwal, Ramesh Chand Choudhary, Raju Singh Jakhar and Soniya
Keywords: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Vermicompost, Zinc, Nutrient uptake, Productivity, Grain yield.
DOI:10.37273/chesci.cs302056071
Full Text – PDF
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024–25 at the Research Farm, Department of Agriculture, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, to evaluate the effect of vermicompost and zinc on the productivity and nutrient uptake of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, comprising four levels of vermicompost (0, 5, 7.5, and 10 t/ha) and four levels of zinc (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 kg/ha), resulting in a total of sixteen treatment combinations.
Observations were recorded on various growth parameters, yield attributes, yield, nutrient content and uptake, and economic returns. The results revealed that the combined application of vermicompost @ 10 t/ha and zinc @ 7.5 kg/ha (V3Zn3) significantly enhanced plant height, number of tillers, dry matter accumulation, and crop growth rate. Yield attributes such as number of spikes, seeds per spike, and test weight also showed significant improvement. The highest grain yield (4147.16 kg/ha), biological yield (9172.23 kg/ha), and net return (Rs. 67,115.66/ha) with a benefit-cost (B:C) ratio of 1.96 were recorded under the V3Zn3 treatment. It is concluded that the integrated application of vermicompost @ 10 t/ha and zinc @ 7.5 kg/ha is the most effective and economically viable strategy for improving wheat productivity and nutrient uptake in the semi-arid regions of Rajasthan.
References
1. Swaminathan MS. Wheat and Wheat Improvement. New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research; 1981.
2. Anonymous. *Grain and Feed Update – April 2024. Washington, DC: Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 2024.
3. Sinha RK, Herat S, Valani D, Chauhan DK. Earthworms vermicompost: a powerful crop nutrient over the conventional compost & protective soil conditioner against the destructive chemical fertilizers for food safety and security. Am Eurasian J Agric Environ Sci. 2009;5:1–55.
4. Gupta G, Rani R, Chandra A. Enhanced soil fertility, plant growth promotion and microbial enzymatic activities of vermicomposted fly ash. Sci Rep. 2003;9:10455.
5. Lourduraj AC. Vermicomposting: a sustainable approach for organic waste management. Agric Rev. 2006;27:229–232.
6. Verma S, Sharma RA, Singh S. Effect of integrated nutrient management on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under sandy loam soil. Indian J Agron. 2014;59:270–273.
7. Dekhane SS, Patil VS, Bhilare RL. Response of late sown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to organic and inorganic sources of nutrients. Bioinfolet. 2017;14:123–126.
8. Choudhary S, Sahu RK, Jangde R. Influence of vermicompost and inorganic fertilizers on productivity and soil health in wheat. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2023;12:987–993.
9. Peck AW, McDonald GK, Graham RD. Zinc nutrition influences the protein composition of flour in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). J Cereal Sci. 2008;47:266–274.
10. Disante KB, Cortina J, Vilagrosa A. Sensitivity to zinc of Mediterranean woody species important for restoration. Sci Total Environ. 2010;408:2216–2225.
11. Tiwari R, Patel M, Sharma A, Verma S. Effect of graded levels of zinc sulphate on growth, yield and zinc content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Vindhyan Plateau of Madhya Pradesh. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2023;12:2310–2314.
12. Panse VG, Sukhatme PV. Statistical Methods for Agricultural Workers. 4th ed. New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research; 1985.
13. Singh B, Pal A, Sharma S, Yadav P. Zinc biofortification of wheat through agronomic practices. Indian J Fert. 2010;6:40–52.
14. Singh R, Verma KK. Role of zinc and organic manures in crop growth and productivity. Int J Agric Sci. 2022;14:34–40.
15. Ghanshyam, Hooda RS, Mehta KK. Residual effect of organic manures on productivity and nutrient uptake in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Indian J Agron. 2010;55(2):121–124.
16. Bairwa SK, Verma R, Meena M, Kumawat SM. Effect of zinc fertilization on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under southern Rajasthan conditions. Int J Chem Stud. 2021;9(2):1743–1746.
17. Ali A, Hussain M, Habib HS, Kiani TT, Anees MA, Rahman MA. Foliar spray surpasses soil application of potassium for maize production under rainfed conditions. Turk J Field Crops. 2016;21(1):36–43.
18. Tiwari R, Patel M, Sharma A, Verma S. Effect of graded levels of zinc sulphate on growth, yield and zinc content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Vindhyan Plateau of Madhya Pradesh. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2023;12(2):2310–2314.
19. Bano K, Kale RD, Gajanan GN. Culturing of earthworms Eudrilus eugeniae for cast production and assessment of worm cast as bio-fertilizer. J Soil Biol Ecol. 1987;7(2):98–104.
20. Kapoor A, Singh R, Singh VK, Serawat M, Vishwakarma DK. Effect of organic, inorganic and biofertilizers on growth and yields of mungbean \[Vigna radiatus (L.) Wilczek]. Biol Forum – Int J. 2023;15(2):929–937.
21. Kumari P, Singh R, Jha AK, Kumar S. Interaction effect of irrigation regimes and zinc nutrition on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains. J AgriSearch. 2024;11(1):45–50.
22. Tiwari R, Patel M, Sharma A, Verma S. Zinc fertilization enhances yield and grain zinc concentration in wheat under rainfed conditions. J Pharm Innov. 2023;12(3):1020–1026.