Manjul Kumar, Arun Alfred David, Tarence Thomas and Sanjay Arora
Abstract
The study assessed the impact of paddy straw management practices, including the use of the Halo-CRD bio-decomposer combined with inorganic fertilizers, on wheat productivity and soil health in the subtropical region of Prayagraj during the Rabi seasons of 2020â21 and 2021-22. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of integrated residue management in improving crop productivity and economic viability. Treatment T7 (100% rice residue treated with Halo-CRD bio-decomposer + 100% RDF) consistently outperformed others, achieving the highest grain yield (63.31 q ha {¹ pooled), straw yield (92.51 q ha {¹pooled), biological yield (155.82 q ha {¹ pooled), and net returns (73,294 ha{¹ pooled). While minimum grain yield (25.77 q ha {¹pooled), straw yield (43.95 q ha{¹pooled), biological yield (69.72 q ha{¹.pooled), economic returns. In 2018-19, GR was Rs. 49,222 ha {¹with NR of Rs. 12,722 ha {¹, resulting in a B:C ratio of 1:1.35, recorded in T1 (absolute control). Treatments with reduced RDF levels (T8 and T9) showed moderate performance in terms of productivity and profitability. The findings advocate integrating rice residue management with microbial decomposers like Halo-CRD and balanced fertilization to enhance wheat productivity and net returns.