EFFECTS OF NPS FERTILIZER AND VERMICOMPOST ON SELECTED SOIL PROPERTIES, YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF MUNGBEAN (Vigna radiata L.): AT AMIBARA IN MIDDLE AWASH, AFAR REGION, ETHIOPIA

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