Enhancing Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Nutritional Value and Soil Vitality via Soil-Centric Nutrient Management in Western Himalayan Agro Ecosystems of Uttarakhand

Organic and natural farming practices have become increasingly important over time as alternatives to chemical pesticides and their importance in improving wheat grain quality, soil health, and microbial biodiversity of the soil. This study explored the influence of organic, natural, and conventional farming practices on wheat grain quality, soil health, and microbial populations in the Western Himalayan region of Uttarakhand during 2021-2023. Organic farming practices (M2) using vermicompost, Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, and beneficial microbes significantly enhanced wet gluten, dry gluten and protein content viz., 33.47 - 37.19, 9.81 - 11.31 and 12.54 - 13.24 respectively. The 75% recommended fertilizer dose (S2) produced the highest values for wet gluten dry gluten and protein content viz., 32.50 - 35.68, 9.88 - 12.40 and 12.65 - 13.57 respectively among sub-plot treatments. The populations of microorganisms in soil, including bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, were notably higher under organic farming (M2) with values ranging from 8.05 - 8.09 log cfu for bacteria, 4.44 - 4.46 log cfu for fungi, and 6.26 -6.35 log cfu for actinomycetes. Our findings demonstrated that both organic and natural farming practices offer significant benefits for producing highquality wheat and fostering healthy soil microbes enhancing agricultural sustainability