Abstract:
The Decline in soil fertility due to nutrient depletion is a concern for low-input crop
production in most parts of Ethiopia. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the
effect of vermicompost combinations with NPS fertilizer on soil physicochemical properties,
Mungbean yield and yield components in Amibara district, middle awash, Ethiopia. The study
was conducted at Werer Agricultural Research Center using mungbean under irrigated
conditions. Experimental treatments included factorial combinations of four rates of NPS (0,
50, 100 and 150 kg NPS ha-1
) and vermicompost (0, 2, 4 and 6 t ha-1
) fertilizers which were
laid out in RCBD with three replications. Soil samples were analyzed for Texture, BD, pH, EC,
SAR, total N, available P, S, OC, CEC, OM, and exchangeable base (Ca, Mg, K and Na). The
yield and yield components were also analyzed Results of soil analysis after harvesting of the
crop, application of vermicompost showed significantly (p<0.05) increased available Mg (2.07
to 5.60), OM (1.91 to 2.35), EC (1.03 to 0.436) and whereas bulk density decreased (from 1.47
to 1.16) as the level of applied vermicompost rates increased also, the result showed that the
interaction effects of NPS and vermicompost increased OC (1.05 to 1.84), TN (0.06 to 0.18),
Av.P (10.87 to 15.68), Av.S (14.70 to 16.93) CEC (39.38 to 47.38) and Ex.K (1.78 to 2.21).In
addition to the soil result the grain yield (1557.6 kg ha-1
), number of seed per pod (16.66),
plant height (33.37 cm), aboveground biomass (3779.3kg ha-1
), number of primary
branch(11.4, number of secondary branch (9.08) and hundred seed weight (6.91 gm) were
affected by the effect of application of NPS and vermicompost. Therefore, it can be concluded
and recommended that the application of 4t compost ha−1
in combination with 100kg of NPS
ha−1were found to be significantly enhanced the soil and yield of mungbean in middle Awash
environment
