RESPONSE OF CHICKPEA TO POTASH AND NPSB FERTILIZERS AT SODO DISTRICT, GURAGE ZONE

Abstract

Lack of NPSB fertilizer and Muriate of Potash (MOP) is the key yield restrictive factors of chickpea production on verti sols in the Sodo District. Hence, a field experiment was carried out through the main cropping season of 2021/22 in Sodo District, to investigate the effect of blended NPSB fertilizer and Muriate of potash rates on yield and yield components of chickpea at Sodo District. At a four levels of blended NPSB fertilizer (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 ) and four level of Muriate of Potash (MOP) (0, 50, 100 and 150). The experiment was conducted in a factorial combination in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on the effect of blended NPSB fertilizer and Muriate of Potash rates on yield and yield components of chickpea were recorded and subjected to analysis of Variance (ANOVA). ANOVA showed that crop phenology (days to 50% flowering and days to physiological maturity), the growth (plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight), nodulation (number of nodules, nodule fresh and dry weight, nodules volume, number of effective nodules) and yield components (number of pods, number of seeds per pod, hundred seed weight, harvest index and grain yield) were significantly affected by the different factor combinations. The highest mean value of seed yield (1953.33 kg ha-1 ) was gained from combined application rate of 100 kg NPSB ha-1 and 100 kg MOP ha-1 which increase over the control (886.67 kg ha-1 ). The partial budget analysis revealed that the maximum (ETB 63132.5ha-1 ) net benefit were achieved from interaction rate of 100 kg NPSB ha-1 and 100 kg Mop ha-1 MRR of 5.74% and minimum (ETB 31653.5 ha-1 ) net benefit were obtained from the control, respectively. Hence, with the interaction rate of 100 kg NPSB ha-1 and 100 kg Muriate of Potash ha-1 could be tentatively recommended for chickpea production in Sodo District. However, the trial should be repeated over years and sites to give a valid recommendation.