EFFECT OF BLENDED NPSB FERTILIZER RATES ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) VARIETIES AT ENORE ENER DISTRICT, CENTERA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Maize, a staple cereal crop in Ethiopia, suffers from low productivity in the study area due to poor soil fertility, limited fertilizer use, and low-yielding varieties. To address this, a field experiment was conducted during the 2021/2022 bulge cropping season in Enore Ener district, Central Ethiopia. The study evaluated the effects of blended NPSB fertilizer rates on yield and yield components of three maize varieties (BH-540, BH-546, and BH- 661). The experiment also aimed to identify economically viable NPSB fertilizer application rates. Treatments consisted of factorial combinations of the three varieties and four NPSB fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha-1) arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on maize phenology, growth, yield, and yield components were collected and analyzed using SAS software (Version 9.3).The results showed a significant interaction between maize varieties and NPSB fertilizer rates for most parameters. The result revealed that, BH-661 with 150 kg ha-1 NPSB achieved the tallest in plant height (291.33 cm), maximum leaf area (7229.7 cm2), and highest leaf area index (4.3). Application of 150 kg ha-1 NPSB fertilizer with variety BH-546 also produced the most ears per plant (2.3) and most grains per ear (6432.7). Moreover, the application of 150 kg ha-1 NPSB fertilizer with variety BH-546 resulted in the highest grain yield (9,366.7 kg ha-1) and the greatest net benefit (211,865.55 Birr ha-1) Hence applying 150 kg ha-1 NPSB fertilizer with variety BH-546 is optimal for maximizing yield and net benefit in the study area., Nevertheless further research is needed across locations and seasons for robust recommendations to the region