EFFECTS OF NPS FERTILIZER RATES ON GROWTH, YIELD COMPONENTS AND YIELD OF BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) VARIETIES UNDER IRRIGATION AT GEWANE, NORTH-EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Wheat is the most important staple cereal crop in most parts of Ethiopia.However, appropriate management practice that combines improved varieties and NPS fertilizer is lacking in Gewane. Thus, field experiment was conducted from November 2018 to February 2019 to assess the effects of NPS fertilizer rates on growth, yield components and yield of bread wheat varieties; and to evaluate the cost-benefit of NPS fertilizer rates for production of bread wheat under irrigation at Gewane Afar region. Factorial combinations of three varieties (Fentale, Lucy and Werer-2) and five levels of NPS fertilizer (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 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 varieties were highly significant on all phenology and growth parameters except days of 50% heading which was significant at NPS fertilizer alone. Similarly the main effect of NPS fertilizer rates and varieties were highly significant on all yield components but grain yield showed significant interaction (p<0.05) effect on NPS and varieties and straw yield showed significant (p<0.05) effect on NPS fertilizer but highly significant (p<0.01) effect on varieties. The highest number of kernel per spike (38.9) and straw yield (6394.4kgha-1) were recorded from 150 kg ha-1NPS fertilizer but the highest thousand kernels weight (60.9g) and aboveground dry bio mass (12632.2kgha-1) were recorded from 200kg ha-1 NPS fertilizer. Similarly the highest number of kernel per spike (36.9), thousand kernels weight (56.2g) and aboveground dry bio mass (12654.9kgha-1) were recorded from fentale variety. The analysis of variance showed that the interaction effect of varieties and NPS fertilizer rates significantly (p<0.05) influenced on grain yield where the highest grain yield (6579 kg ha-1) were recorded from variety Fentale at 150 kg.ha-1NPS fertilizer rate.. The result of partial budget analysis showed that application of 150 kg ha-1 NPS with variety Fentale gave the highest net benefit of 86824.3 Birr ha-1and MRR of 1601.2%. From the above results, it can be concluded that Using 150 kg ha-1NPS fertilizer with Fentale variety can be recommended for bread wheat production in the study area.