GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF FOOD BARLEY (Hordeum vulgar L.) VARIETIES TO NPSB BLENDED FERTILIZER RATES AT ENDEGAGN WOREDA OF GURAGE ZONE SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Barley is one of the major cereal crops grown in Ethiopia. Due to lack of improved varieties and lack of site specific recommended NPSB fertilizer rates its productivity is lower at Endegagn District. A field experiment was conducted in 2022 main cropping season at Endagagn District to evaluate the effect of NPSB fertilizer rate on yield and yield components of food barley varieties. Factorial combinations of four NPSB fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 ) and four varieties of food barley (HB1307, HB1966, Cross41/98 and local variety) were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data was collected on growth and yield and yield components Data were analyzed using SAS (version 9.3).Treatments mean were compared us LSD at 5% level probability. The result showed that NPSB blended fertilizer levels and varieties were significantly affected majority of the parameters. The highest day’s to 50% heading (107) was recorded due to the use of 150kg of NPSBha-1 for variety HB1966. The highest days to physiological maturity (139), plant height (128) and lodging percent (14.2%)were recorded due to application 150kg of NPSBha-1 for variety HB1966 while the highest spike length(8.2),total number of tiller(12),number of kernel per spike (70), above ground dry biomass(15502kgha-1 ) , grain yield (57933 kgha-1 ) and harvest index (37.9%) were recorded due to the application of 150 kgha-1NPSB blended fertilizer with variety cross41/98. Net benefit of 156,397.3birrha-1 was provided from the treatments combination of 150kgha-1 blended NPSB fertilizer levels with cross41/98. Based on the result of this research use of 150kgha1 blended NPSB fertilizer rate on cross41/98 variety gave highest grain yield and maximum net benefit in the study area. At the conclusion the result obtained from the study was show that, the interaction effect of NPB fertilizer rates and varieties was highly significantly influence on number of number of kernel per spike, a above ground dry biomass, harvest index, plant height and total number of tiller significantly effect on grain yield Therefore, farmers in the study area and areas with similar agro ecology and soil category can be advised to apply cross41/98 variety with 150 kgha-1 blended NPSB fertilizer to enhance the production, and productivity of food barley. However, to get better conclusive result and sound full recommendation the experiment has to be done across location and season.