• Dr.Minakshee Sawankar
• Dr.Ballal Sunil D

Enhancing crop yield and fertilizer use is being a major challenge to meet the food and nutritional security of ever increasing population and also conserve the natural resources from degradation. Slow release fertilizer not only increase crop yield but also increasing nutrient use efficiency and lower input cost to farmer. Cost of slow release fertilizer is 3-4% higher than ordinary urea. Coated urea has been observed to improve nutrient use efficiency in wheat. Nutrient losses due to leaching, volatilization, immobilization and ground water pollution by nitrates as well as ammonia gas pollution in the air may be reduced through the use of slow release fertilizer. A field experiment was conducted by growing wheat variety LOK-1 on a Vertisol. The treatment were neem coated urea (NCU) and sulphur coated urea (SCU) at 100% and 75% recommended dose, normal urea(100% recommended dose) and absolute control ( without any fertilizer). In all the P and K (100% dose) were applied except in control. The results indicated that Nutrient use efficiency viz., agronomic efficiency, utilization efficiency, Potassium use efficiency and phosphorus use efficiency were significantly higher in coated urea applied treatment than that of normal urea applied treatment. The nitrogen use efficiency of SCU, NCU and Normal urea was 65%, 55% and 44% respectively. Further application of coated urea at 75% recommended dose also over performed the normal urea for improving plant growth and wheat crop yield.

- Nutrient use efficiency, Slow release fertilizer, Agronomic efficiency, Plant growth .

"Enhancing plant growth, yield and Nutrient use Efficiency of Wheat through Application of Slow Release Fertilizer", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 5, page no.e514-e522, May-2022, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2205566.pdf

"Enhancing plant growth, yield and Nutrient use Efficiency of Wheat through Application of Slow Release Fertilizer", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 5, page no. ppe514-e522, May-2022, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2205566.pdf