Nitrogen rates and timing effects on yield and yield components of bread wheat (Tritium aestivum l.) at Maokomo

Abstract

M Megersa*, T Yoseph and W Worku

Low available soil nutrient status and reduced plant-use-efficiency are some of the major constraints limiting bread wheat yield in growing areas of Ethiopia. Ensuring a well-balanced supply of N to the bread wheat crop may result in higher grain yield. The national recommendation of nitrogen fertilizer rate is 46 kg N ha^-1 and this rate is recommended to most of the farmer to apply in two splits, i.e., is 30% at sowing and 70% at tillering stage but in the study area there is little knowledge among farmers. Therefore a field experiment was conducted during 2018 main cropping season in western mid-latitude of Ethiopia to evaluate the effects of rates and timing of nitrogen on yield and yield components as well as nutrient use-efficiency of bread wheat, which was grown on Nitisol of Benshangul Gumuz region. The treatments studied consists of three N rates (46, 69, and 92 kg ha^-1) laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. The results revealed that marked improvement on NUE, growth, phenology, yield and yield components of bread wheat due to different levels. The application of nitrogen at higher rates of 69 kg ha^-1 significantly increased most of the measured parameters compared with the control plots. The highest grain yield (4.93 t ha^-1) was recorded from the application of 69 kg N ha^-1, the partial budget analysis revealed that, the highest net return of (53,486.9 ETB ha^-1) from the application of 69 kg N ha^-1. Therefore, based on the results of the current experiment, the use of 69 kg N ha^-1 can be suggested for improved productivity of wheat for the study area, although over season and location experiment is demanding to confirm the current findings.