Integrated nutrient management enhances wheat performance, soil quality, and bio-economics under wild pomegranate based agroforestry systems in the Western Himalayas

Abstract

Agroforestry has emerged as a climate-smart land-use strategy capable of enhancing agricultural sustainability while improving soil health and farm profitability. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2021–22 and 2022–23 in the mid-hill region of Himachal Pradesh, India, to evaluate the growth, yield, soil properties, and bio-economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under a wild pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) based agroforestry system in comparison with sole cropping, under different integrated nutrient management (INM) practices. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with two planting environments (agroforestry and open field) and twelve nutrient management treatments comprising organic, inorganic, and integrated nutrient sources. Results indicated that wheat grown under sole cropping recorded significantly higher growth and yield parameters; however, agroforestry conditions significantly improved soil organic carbon and the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Integrated nutrient management, particularly the application of 50% recommended dose of fertilizers combined with 50% farmyard manure, consistently enhanced plant height, tiller number, grain yield, and harvest index under both planting environments. This treatment also recorded the highest net returns ($ 764.65 ha⁻¹) and benefit–cost ratio (1.81), demonstrating strong economic viability under agroforestry conditions. Although agroforestry imposed moderate yield penalties due to tree-crop competition, improved soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and long-term sustainability compensated for these effects. The study demonstrates that wheat cultivation under wild pomegranate-based agroforestry systems, when supported by appropriate integrated nutrient management, is both economically viable and ecologically sustainable, offering a resilient land-use option for hill agro-ecosystems under changing climatic conditions.