Synergizing Nano-Urea and Organic Manure for Enhanced Physiological Efficiency and Productivity in Wheat

Background: Sustainable nutrient management mitigates soil degradation by synergizing nano-fertilizers, organic amendments, and bio-biological inoculants. Methods and Materials: A randomized block design field experiment was conducted during the 2024–25 Rabi Winter season at KVK, Ghazipur India, evaluating nine nutrient management strategies on wheat variety DBW-187. Treatments integrated 100% and 75% recommended doses of fertilizer (RDF) with farmyard manure (FYM; 5 t ha⁻¹), liquid NPK consortia seed treatments, and foliar-applied nano-urea (4% w/v). Rigorous physiological assessments included periodic dry matter accumulation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), and Crop Growth Rate (CGR). Post-harvest elemental analysis quantified nitrogen concentration via the micro-Kjeldahl method to derive physiological efficiency (PE). Results: Experimental findings revealed a superior performance hierarchy of T4>T6>T5>T7 > T9>T8> T2>T3>T1 across all parameters. Treatment T4 (100% RDF + FYM) achieved peak grain yield ( 6.20 t ha⁻¹), dry matter ( 248.0 g m⁻¹), and LAI ( 3.20 ), closely followed by the nano-urea intervention ( T6 ). Nano-urea significantly enhanced nitrogen use efficiency, yielding a grain nitrogen content of 1.82 % and a PE of 38.4 . This superiority stems from optimized source-to-sink translocation and sustained metabolic activity during the critical 60–90 DAS interval, where CGR peaked at 25.60 g m⁻² day⁻¹. Conclusion: Integrating nano-urea with organic manure optimizes physiological efficiency and maximizes wheat productivity through enhanced nutrient assimilation and soil resilience.