Declining soil health and nutrient imbalance in continuous rice-wheat systems threaten wheat productivity and profitability. A two-year (2021-22 and 2022-23) field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design to evaluate the combined effects of wheat genotypes and plant growth promoters (PGPs) on growth, physiology, and yield under semi-arid conditions. Treatments comprised three wheat genotypes (DBW-187, K-1006, and K-607) and five plant growth promoter (PGP) options: control (no PGP), chelated micronutrients (0.5%), seaweed extract applied as granules (25 kg ha(- 1)) and liquid (3000 ppm), gibberellic acid (2000 ppm), and nitrobenzene (3000 ppm). DBW-187 exhibited superior growth and yield attributes, with higher tiller number (similar to 20%), dry matter accumulation (similar to 18%), chlorophyll content, and grain yield (similar to 13%) over other genotypes. Chelated micronutrients enhanced growth parameters and yield (grain + 20.2%, straw + 9.4%) compared with the control. Seaweed extract and gibberellic acid produced comparable improvements. The combination of DBW-187 with chelated micronutrients achieved the highest production and economic efficiency. Integrating high-yielding genotypes with suitable PGPs and balanced fertilization offers a promising strategy for improving wheat productivity and sustainability in agri-food systems.