EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPLICATION OF VERMICOMPOST AND NPS ON YIELD COMPONENTS AND YIELD OF BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) PRODUCTION IN MAO-KOMO DISTRICT, WESTERN ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

Bread wheat is one of the most important cereal crops produced in Mao-komo (Benishangul Gumuz). However, appropriate management practice that combines integrated application of organic and inorganic fertilizer is lacking in Mao-komo. Thus, field experiment was conducted from August to December 2020 to assess the effects of integrated application of vermicompost and NPS on yield and yield components of bread wheat in Mao-komo. Factorial combinations of four levels of vermicompost ( 0, 5, 10 and 15 t ha-1 ) and four levels of NPS fertilizer ( 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 ) were used in randomized complete block design with three replications.The results showed that the main effect of NPS fertilizer rates and vermicompost were highly significant on all phenology and growth parameters except days to heading and spike length. Similarly, the interaction effect of NPS fertilizer rates and vermicompost were highly significant (P < 0.01) on above ground biomass, harvest index and thousands seed weight and main effect of average grain filling rate (kg day-1 ha-1 ) was highly significant (P < 0.01). The highest plant height (75.81cm), and spike length (7.9 cm) were recorded from 15 t ha-1 vermicmpost. The highest number of kernel per spike (45.1), number of effective tillers (421.33 permeter) and grain yield (3565.7 kg ha-1 ) were recorded from 10 t ha-1 vermicompost and 150 kg ha-1 NPS but straw yield (4848.6 kg ha-1 ), above ground dry biomass (8188.9 kg ha-1 ) and average biomass production rate (75.38 kg day-1 ha-1 ) were recorded from 150 kg ha-1 NPS and 15 t ha-1 vermicompost fertilizer. Similarly the highest harvest index (47.52 %) and thousand kernels weight (46.1g)) were recorded from 10 t ha-1 vermicompost and 100 kg ha-1 NPS and 5 t ha-1 vermicompost and 150 kg ha-1 NPS respectively. The result of partial budget and sensitivity analysis showed that application of 10 t ha−1 vermicompost and 100 kg ha-1 NPS gave the net benefit value of 84221.56 Birr ha−1 and MRR 909.24%. From the above results, it can be concluded that using 10 t ha−1 vermicompost and 100 kg ha-1 NPS can be recommended for wheat production in the study area.