Trade-offs and synergies of cultivars and plant growth promoters on wheat physiology and productivity Sunil Kumar Prajapati, V.K. Verma, Shivendra Singh, Gurwaan Singh, Sandeep Gawdiya, Shikhar Verma, Naushad Khan, M.Z. Siddiqui, Kuldeep Patel, Deo Narayan Singh, Nilutpal Saikia, Sk Asraful Ali, Sandeep Kumar, Mohammad Hasanain, Vijay Singh Meena, Dinesh Kumar, Shailesh Kumar Singh, Sunita Kumari Meena Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 2026 Wheat production in semi-arid regions faces escalating challenges from water scarcity, heat stress, and climatic variability, making improvements in physiological efficiency and yield stability critical for sustaining productivity. This study evaluated the combined influence of spring wheat cultivars and plant growth promoters (PGPs) on crop performance in a semi-arid climate, using a two-year (rabi 2021-22 and 2022-23) split-plot field experiment with three cultivars (DBW-187, K-1006, and K-607) and six PGPs treatments, including nitrobenzene, GA 3 , seaweed extracts, and micronutrient chelates. Measurements taken at tillering, flowering, and harvest revealed strong cultivar × PGP interactions, with DBW-187 showing superior growth and physiological traits such as higher tiller number (+18.3%), tiller production rate (+19.7%), dry matter accumulation (+18.3%), and improved SPAD, NDVI, and stomatal conductance (+9.5%). Micronutrient chelates (PGP6) emerged as the most effective promoter, enhancing tiller production (+36.0% to +50.5%), dry matter accumulation (+33.4%), leaf area index (+11.6%), and pigment concentrations, ultimately contributing to better stress tolerance and higher yield. The DBW-187 + PGP 6 combination achieved the highest productivity (5.38 t ha -1 ), representing a ∼24% yield increase over the control, while GA 3 also produced notable gains (12.8-19.4%). Overall, the results highlight that integrating nutrient-efficient cultivars with targeted PGPs especially micronutrient formulations and GA 3 offers a low-cost, sustainable pathway to enhance physiological resilience and optimize wheat performance in water-limited and heat-stressed agro-ecosystems. • DBW-187 + PGP6 increased yield to 5.38 t ha -1 (+24.1% over control). • Micronutrient chelates raised tiller count by 36% and dry matter by 33%. • DBW-187 recorded +19.7% tiller rate and +9.5% stomatal conductance. • GA 3 treatment enhanced grain yield by 12.8–19.4% across cultivars. • Cultivar–PGP synergy improved LAI (+11.6%) and photosynthetic efficiency.
Effect of sole and combined application of sulphatic micronutrients fertilisers on growth traits of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) S S Dhruvendra, S Prashun, S Bhanu, S Shivendra, S Jay, P S Yogendra, P S Ajay Plant Science Today, 2026 Hidden hunger due to inadequate availability of micronutrients such as Zn, Fe and Cu often limits wheat productivity despite sufficient macronutrient supply. A field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2022–23 and 2023–24 at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, to evaluate the effect of sulphate-based micronutrient fertilisation on the growth performance of wheat varieties. The study was laid out in a split-plot design with 2 varieties as main plots and 10 nutrient management treatments, including control, as subplots. Results revealed that variety DBW-222 exhibited superior growth performance over HD-2967 in terms of plant height, tiller density, dry matter production, crop growth rate and grain yield. Among nutrient management practices, the treatment, recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF) + soil application of (Zn + Fe+ Cu) through ZnSO4.7H2O at 20 kg ha-1, FeSO4.7H2O at 12 kg ha-1, CuSO4.5H2O at 2.0 kg ha-1 significantly enhanced plant height, tiller number, dry matter accumulation (DMA), crop growth rate (CGR) and grain yield compared to control and individual applications. This treatment also reduced days to heading and maturity, indicating improved crop vigour and growth efficiency. The period of 60–90 days after sowing (DAS) was identified as the most critical stage for rapid biomass accumulation. Overall, the study demonstrates that combined soil application of Zn, Fe and Cu substantially improves wheat growth and can be recommended as an effective strategy to address micronutrient deficiencies and enhance crop performance.
Global Perspective of Grain Legume Production, Trade and Policy Imperatives Grain Legumes Towards Sustainable Agrifood Systems, 2025
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Plant Growth Promoters and Genotype: Strategies to Enhance Growth, Productivity and Profitability of Wheat in Semi-Arid Ecologies of India SK Prajapati, VK Verma, D Kumar, S Gawdiya, S Singh, G Singh, N Khan, ... Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 45 (3), 2316-2338 , 2026 2026
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Plant Growth Promoters and Genotype: Strategies to Enhance Growth, Productivity and Profitability of Wheat in Semi-Arid Ecologies of India SK Prajapati, VK Verma, D Kumar, S Gawdiya, S Singh, G Singh, N Khan, ... Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 45 (3), 2316-2338 , 2026 2026
