Impacts of Climate Change, Soil Degradation and Nutrient Dynamics on Wheat Productivity: An Integrated Perspective
Abstract
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a cornerstone of global food security, yet its productivity is increasingly constrained by the interacting pressures of climate change, soil degradation, and imbalanced nutrient management. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how rising temperatures, erratic precipitation, and extreme weather events directly impair wheat growth and phenology while indirectly accelerating soil organic carbon depletion, structural degradation, and nutrient losses. These processes weaken soil functionality, disrupt nutrient cycling, and reduce nutrient use efficiency, ultimately limiting grain formation and yield potential. Importantly, these drivers operate through synergistic and non-linear interactions, amplifying yield losses, increasing inter-annual variability, and reducing the resilience of wheat-based agro-ecosystems, particularly in intensively cultivated regions such as the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The review further evaluates sustainable management strategies, including climate-resilient agronomic practices, conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, precision nutrient approaches, and integrated soil–water–nutrient management, which collectively enhance resource-use efficiency, restore soil health, and stabilize productivity under stress conditions. Additionally, it highlights key research gaps related to multi-stress tolerance, soil health restoration, and the adoption of digital and precision technologies in diverse farming systems. Emphasis is placed on the need for integrated, climate-smart, and data-driven approaches that align agronomic practices with ecological processes and socio-economic realities. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive agroecosystem perspective and outlines pathways for sustaining wheat productivity, improving environmental sustainability, and ensuring long-term food security under increasingly complex environmental scenarios.