Impact of Seaweed Extract (Sagarika) Granules and Liquid Sprays in Combination with Recommended and Reduced Urea Doses on Growth, Yield and Uptake of nutrients by Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Inceptisol

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major global staple crop whose production is affected by environmental conditions, farming practices, and modern agricultural inputs. Biostimulants offer a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers by enhancing plant growth, stress resistance, and soil health while supporting environmentally friendly agriculture. To assess the impact of applying seaweed extract (Sagarika liquid and granules) both alone and in conjunction with lower urea dosages on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. HD-2967 growth, yield, nutrient uptake, and harvest index. Eleven treatments and three replications were used in the Randomized Block Design (RBD). Rabi season, 2022–2023, Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Seaweed granules (base @ 10 kg/acre), seaweed liquid (two foliar sprays @ 5 ml/L at tillering and pre-flowering), NPK consortia (seed/root therapy), and pure urea sprays were used in treatments that combined 100% and 50% recommended doses of fertilizers (RDF). Standard protocols were used to record growth characteristics, yield attributes, harvest index (HI), and NPK/micronutrient uptake. Treatment T7 (100% RDF + seaweed granules basal + two sprays of seaweed liquid) greatly outperformed all other treatments, according to the results. The greatest plant height (90 DAS), SPAD value (58.08 at 60 DAS), number of tillers (376 at 60 DAS), grains per ear head (70), test weight (45.45 g), awn length (8.79 cm), and head length (11.51 cm) were all reported by T7. T7 treatment also produced the highest grain yield (39.47 q ha⁻¹), straw yield (52.10 q ha⁻¹), biological yield, and harvest index (43.10%). Additionally, T7 showed better uptake of potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, nitrogen (100.3 kg ha⁻¹ in grain), and phosphorus (91.52 kg ha⁻¹ in grain). By encouraging photosynthesis and postponing senescence, the integrated application of seaweed granules and liquid with 100% RDF improves wheat productivity, nutrient use efficiency, and economic yield.