YIELD RESPONSE OF BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)VARITIES TO BLENDED (NPSBZn) FERTILIZER AT WOLISO DISTRICT OBI KOJI KEBELA, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ethiopia is one of the important wheat producing countries. However yield is low mainly due to low soil fertility especially lack of improved verities and climate variability Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at Woliso District during the 2021 main cropping season to investigate the effect of NPSBZn fertilizer levels on wheat growth phenology and yield. The factorial combination of three bread wheat varieties (Kekeba, Kingbird and Boiyido) and four rates of NPSBZn fertilizer (0, 50,100 and 150) were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replication. The collected data were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS version 9.2 and the mean separation was computed using the least significant difference at (p<0.05). The result showed that the spike length, plant height, thousand kernels weight, above ground biomass and the straw yield were highly significantly(p<0.01) affected by the main effects of fertilizer NPSBZn and Varieties. The maximum spike length(8.80) and total dry biomass yield(9751.55kg ha-1), were obtained at the NPSBZn rate of 150kg ha-1.The interaction effect of fertilizer and varieties were highly significant on grain and above ground dry biomass yield. The maximum grain yield (5145.4 kg ha-1) and above ground dry biomass (9718.2kg ha 1), were obtained due to Combination of the highest rates of NPSBZn 150kg ha-1 with variety kekeba. In general the economic feasibility of the fertilizer over varieties combination indicated that application of 150 kg ha-1of NPSBZn to king bird variety resulted in maximum marginal rates of return 3753.92%The partial budget analyses revealed that the highest net return (135675.9 Birr ha-1) with MRR (1872.36%) was obtained from kekeba with the fertilizer application of 150 kg NPSBZn ha-1. Based on this result, tentatively concluded that bread wheat Varity kekeba and NPSBZn rate of 150kg ha-1to be applicable for bread wheat production in the study area