GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSES OF BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) VARIETIES TO SEEDING RATES AT WOLISO, SOUTH WEST SHEWA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the 2021 main cropping season with the objective of determining the best seeding rate of bread wheat varieties for optimum growth and yield in Woliso District, South West Shewa, Ethiopia. Three varieties (Shorima, Ogolcho and Dandea) and five seeding rates (100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 kg ha 1 ) were used in factorially arranged randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated thrice. The analysis of variance revealed that the main and the interaction effect of variety and seeding rates had highly significant (p<0.01) on effect days to 50% emergence and heading; while the interaction effect of seed rate and variety was significantly (p<0.05) affected harvest index (HI) and grain yield of wheat varieties. Days to 90% physiological maturity, spike length and thousand kernels weight were affected highly significantly (p<0.01) and plant height (p<0.05) by the main effects of variety and seed rate. Number of effective tillers and number of kernels per spike were significantly (p<0.05) affected only by the main effects of variety and the main effects of seed rate, respectively. The above ground dry biomass yield was highly significantly (p<0.01) affected only by the main effect of the variety. The use of 150 kg ha 1 seeding rate for variety Dandea resulted in highest harvest index (37.29%) and grain yield (4103 kg ha 1 ). From the result of this study, the use of 150 kg ha 1 seed rate for variety Dandea and Ogolcho; and 175 kg ha 1 for variety Shorima were identified for good crop stand and final yield. However, extra study has to be done in diverse sites and time of year with a wide variety of seed rates and varieties to develop convinced recommendation of this stud