Integrated plant nutrition system influences the productivity of wheat–aus rice– aman rice cropping pattern in the Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain of Bangladesh

Integrated nutrient management maximizes energy efficiency, improves soil health, and enhances crop yield. The experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI) in Nashipur, Bangladesh, over three consecutive years: 2017–20. The main aim of this study was to determine the optimal combination of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers required to improve wheat growth and yield while maintaining soil fertility sustainably. Seven treatments were utilized in the study: T1, chemical fertilizers formulated according to soil test results (STB); T2, integrated plant nutrition systems (IPNS) utilizing 5 t/ha of cow manure (based on T1); T3, IPNS (1.0 t/ha) combined with vermicompost (derived from T1); T4, (IPNS utilizing 2.0 t/ha of vermicompost on T1); T5, IPNS - 4.0 t/ha of vermicompost in conjunction with T1; T6, IPNS utilizing 0.750 t/ha of Farha in comparison to T1, and T7, indigenous reproductive capacity (control). The application of vermicompost and other organic fertilizers significantly improved the yields of wheat, T. Aus, and T. Aman rice across the three cropping seasons. Treatment T3 was deemed the most effective, producing the highest rice equivalent of 18.28 t/ha, followed by T2 and T4. The control treatment resulted in the lowest yields. The gross margin is largest in the case of Tk. The T2 utilized 5 t/ha cow dung, yielded a gross margin of Tk. 246,477 /ha, which was the second-highest amount recorded. The maximum density of 239,242 per ha was recorded in T3 (1 t/ha of vermicompost). The increased effectiveness of organic treatments is associated with increased soil health due to improvements in the physical and chemical properties of the soil. To increase soil fertility and production, a combination of 5 t/ha cow dung, 1 t/ha vermicompost, and STB chemical fertilizers is recommended to increase crop output.