Field water and fertilizer management are closely related to wheat growth, and a reasonable water and fertilizer pattern is helpful in increasing wheat production. In order to investigate the changes in growth and yield of wheat under different fertilization gradients and water conditions, a field experiment was conducted in Zhengzhou, China (2022–2023), using two irrigation treatments – sufficient (C) and insufficient (M), and five fertilizer regimes (N=180 kg/ha): organic fertilizer alone (L1), organic-inorganic ratios of 7:3 (L2) and 3:7 (L3), chemical fertilizer alone (L4), and no fertilizer (L5). Results indicated that insufficient irrigation (M) significantly enhanced wheat physiological growth under fertilized conditions, whereas the sufficient irrigation (C) treatment showed better growth without fertilization. Insufficient irrigation combined with a high organic fertilizer ratio notably improved yield, yet the highest yield (10,485.51 kg/ha) was achieved with chemical fertilizer alone (L4). Yield exhibited a strong positive correlation (p<0.01) with plant height, leaf area index (LAI), relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), transpiration rate (Tr), photosynthetic rate (Pn), and stomatal conductance (Gs). Short-term experimental findings suggest that insufficient irrigation with high or exclusive chemical fertilizer application optimizes winter wheat growth and productivity. These results provide valuable insights into designing field water-fertilizer strategies to maximize wheat yield.