Asian Journal of Current Research

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2023–24 and 2024–25 at the NRM Block, CoA Farm, BUAT, Banda, Uttar Pradesh, to evaluate the economic response of wheat cultivation to different phosphorus management practices under integrated nutrient management. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design with nine treatments and three replications. Treatments comprised combinations of recommended NPK or NK fertilisation, graded phosphorus levels, farmyard manure (FYM), bio-consortia, and two foliar sprays of nano-zinc. Economic indicators included cost of cultivation, gross return, net return, and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio, calculated for each year and for pooled data. Integrated nutrient management significantly influenced the economic performance of wheat. The pooled cost of cultivation ranged from ₹29.17×10³ ha⁻¹ under the absolute control to ₹41.96×10³ ha⁻¹ under T7. Treatment T7, consisting of 100% RDF (NPK) + 5 t FYM + bio-consortia + nano-zinc, recorded the highest pooled gross return (₹118.74×10³ ha⁻¹), net return (₹76.74×10³ ha⁻¹), and B:C ratio (1.83). T8 produced closely comparable economic outcomes. Overall, the findings indicate that combining mineral nutrients with FYM, bio-consortia, and foliar nano-zinc can improve the profitability of wheat cultivation under the study conditions despite the additional cultivation cost associated with the integrated treatment package.