Agronomy

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Start date: 2020End date: 2024

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    EFFECT OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER RATES ON GROWTH, YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF OAT (Avena sativa L.) VARIETIES AT ROBA EXPERIMENTAL SITE IN WAMANGYE ALKASO KEBELE, KOFELE DISTRICT, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2024) HUSSEIN WATTA KALIYO
    Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Oat (Avena sativa L.) Varieties in Wamangye Alkaso Kebele, Kofele District, Oromia Regional State, Southern Ethiopia Hussein Watta Kaliyo (BSc) Hussein Mohammed ((PhD) Demalesh Kefale (PhD) Absence of nitrogen rate studies and lack of well adapted varieties are the major yield limiting factors for Oat growth and production in the study area. Thus, the experiment was conducted at Kofele District in the 2023 growing season (July - December) to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates on the growth, yield and yield components of oat varieties; and to identify economically appropriate combination of variety and nitrogen level that gives maximum forage and seed yield. Factorial combination of three oat varieties (WALQAA, WAS, SRCP) and five levels of nitrogen (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 kg ha -1 ) were studied in three replications of the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Data were collected and analyzed by using SAS statistical software. Results showed that the variety and Nitrogen main effects were significant for days to heading, days to physiological maturity, total tillers, effective tillers, spikes plant -1 , plant height, seeds plant -1 , forage yield, above ground biomass, thousand seeds weight, straw yield, grain yield and harvest index. The variety main effect was also significant for plant height at 30 day and 60 days after planting. The Variety x N interaction was significant for days to heading, total tillers, effective tillers, plant height at 90 days, days to physiological maturity, number of seeds per plant, forage yield, aboveground biomass, thousand seeds weight, grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index. The highest forage yield (24.46 t ha -1 ), above-ground biomass (22.5 t ha -1 ) and straw yield (20. 03 t ha -1 ) were obtained from variety WLAQAA at nitrogen rate of 75 and 100 kg ha -1 , respectively. The highest thousand seeds weight (39.30 gm) was obtained from variety SRCP at 100 kg of nitrogen ha -1 while the highest grain yield (6.39 t ha -1 ) was obtained from variety WAS at 75 kg of nitrogen ha-1 . The results of the research indicated that the best variety for forage yield was WALQAA while the best variety for grain yield was WAS. The economic analysis for forage yield revealed that the highest net benefit of 146,737.5 ETB ha -1 was obtained from variety WALQAA with 75 kg of nitrogen ha -1 which gave marginal rate of return (MRR) of 1,110.2%. However, the result of the present study needs to be evaluated and reconfirmed under different agro- ecologies in order to reach a conclusive recommendation. Keywords: Nitrogen fertili
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    RESPONSE OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) TO PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM FERTILIZERS RATES AT KECHI, SOUTH WEST ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2024) ANDUALEM BEZULA
    Wheat is the most significant cereal and staple crop. However, the primary obstacles to output and productivity are the depletion of soil nutrients and the improper application of fertilizers. Therefore, this experiment was conducted at Kechi, South West Ethiopia, to evaluate the growth and yield response of wheat to phosphorus and potassium fertilizer application rates during the 2023 main cropping season. The experiment comprised 12 treatment combinations with four rates of phosphorus (P) (0, 10, 20, and 30 kg/ha) and three rates of potassium (K) (0, 30, and 60 kg/ha) in the form of triple superphosphate (TSP) and murate of potash (KCl), respectively. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a factorial arrangement and replicated three times per treatment. Data were collected on crop phenology, growth, yield, and yield components. The collected data were analyzed using statistical analysis software version 9.2.The outcome showed that the primary effects of potassium and phosphorus had a considerable effect on the harvest index and the number of productive tillers. The interaction effect of phosphorus and potassium had a substantial effect on the following parameters: days to heading, days to physiological maturity, plant height, and total tiller number, number of grains per spike, thousand seed weight, aboveground biomass, grain yield, and straw yield. Furthermore, 20 kg/ha P and 30 kg/ha K fertilizer application rates provided the maximum grain production (4350 kg/ha). The economic analysis also indicates that a net benefit of 229,815 ETB/ha and a marginal rate of return of 1783.1% were achieved from 20 kg/ha P and 30 kg/ha K combination. As a result, this combination can be suggested to raise wheat's grain production. However, since this experiment was conducted in a single season and at one site, repeating over seasons and locations will be required to come up with a plausible recommendation.
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    EFFECT OF BLENDED NPSB FERTILIZER RATES ON YIELD AND YIE LD COMPONENTS OF FOOD BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L.) VARIETIES IN DEBICHA DISTRICT OF SIDAMA REGION, ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2024) ALEMAYEHU FARA BOE
    Barley is an important cereal crop in the highlands of Ethiopia, but its productivity is low due to a lack of improved varieties and a decline in soil fertility. A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different NPSB fertilizer rates on the yield and yield components of food barley varieties at Debicha in the Teticha District of Sidama Region, Ethiopia.The comprised of 15 treatment combinations, five fertilizer rates(control,50,100,1507& 200 kg NPSB with three food barley varieties (HB1966, EH1493, and HB-1307).days to heading, days to physiological maturity, Plant height, number of total tillers and effective tillers, thousand grain weight, number of kernels per spike, above-ground biomass, straw yield, and harvest index all phenology, growth and yield components was collected, As the soil analysis of the study area revealed the soil texture was clay loam, moderately acidic (pH 5.6), low in organic carbon (2.38%), low in total nitrogen (0.14), very low in available P (4.21 mg kg -1 ), low in B (0.47 mg kg -1 ), and medium in CEC (19.78cmol kg -1 ). The analysis of variance showed that days to heading, and days to physiological maturity decreased with the increasing rate of NPSB fertilizer. Plant height, number of total tillers and productive tillers, thousand grain weight, number of kernels per spike, above-ground biomass, straw yield, and harvest index increased with the increasing rates of NPSB fertilizer. The interaction effects of NPSB fertilizer levels and variety were significant on grain yield. The variety EH1493 produced the highest mean grain yield (4.3 t ha -1 ) at 150 kg NPSB ha -1 . Economic analysis revealed that the highest net benefit (71697.5 Et birr ha -1 ) with a marginal rate of return of 79.2 was achieved from the application of 150 kg NPSB ha -1 with the EH1493 variety. Therefore, it is recommended that farmers in the Teticha district and similar agro-ecologies use 150 kg NPSB ha -1 with the EH1493 variety. However, further experiments should be conducted across multiple locations and seasons, incorporating more blended fertilizer rates and varieties, to provide more conclusive recommendations.
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    RESPONSE OF BREAD WHEAT VARIETIES TO APPLICATION OF BLENDED NPS FERTILIZER RATES AT AGARFA DISTRICT, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2023) YEAYNISHET ALEMU
    Field experiment was conducted during 2012/13 E.C cropping season to study the response of Bread wheat vfertilizerarieties to blended NPS at Agarfa district, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The treatments consisted of four rates (50,100,150,200 kg NPS ha-1 ) and recommended rate of Urea and DAP (50 + 100 kg ha-1 and three bread wheat varieties (Sinja, Huluka and Gelan) laid out in randomized complete block design arranged factorialy and replicated three times. All plots were supplemented with different rate of Urea to make the N rate uniform. The main effect of blended NPS fertilizer significantly influenced most agronomic parameters except days to heading and maturity, and harvest index. The maximum number of total tillers (213.89), biomass yields (10.46 t ha -1 ), 1000 seed weight(45.5g), grain yields (4.96 t ha-1 ) , straw yield (5.49 t ha-1 ) and plant height (77.4 cm) were obtained at the highest rate of 200 kg ha-1NPS) but maximum number of productive tillers(188.3) was recorded from 150 kg ha -1 NPS. Varieties showed significant difference for all agronomic parameters except harvest index. The highest plant height (76.86 cm), the longest days to heading (63.47 days) and days to physiological maturity (105.3 days), highest grain yield (5.09 t ha-1 ) and straw yield (5.48 t ha-1 ), largest biomass yield (10.58 t ha-1 ), maximum 1000 seed weight (47.83 g) were recorded from variety Gelan. Interaction of fertilizer rates and varieties was significant on number of kernels per spike. Regarding the economic feasibility of the fertilizer and varieties, maximum net return, 84184 birr/ha and 96890 Birr ha-1 , were recorded from 200 kg ha -1 NPS and Gelan variety respectively. The result of grain yield response index (GYRI) illustrated that variety Gelan belonged to ER group and both Huluka and Sinja varieties were under the NENR group. Thus, variety Gelan and the NPS rate of 200 kg ha-1 can be recommended for producing wheat in the study area.
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    EFFECTS OF BLENDED NPS FERTILIZER RATES ON GROWTH, YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) VARIETIES IN GORCHE DISTRICT, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2023) TAMIRU ELIAS YETERA
    Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important cereal crop in the southern highland of Ethiopia; however, its yield is low due to low productivity of farmers cultivar in use and a decline in soil fertility due to nutrient depletion. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of blended NPS fertilizer rates on the growth, yield, and yield components of bread wheat varieties and their economic viability in the Gorche district of the Sidama region of southern Ethiopia, during the main cropping season of 2021. The factors studied consist of four fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg NPS ha-1 ), and three bread wheat varieties (Wane, Kingbird, and Hidase). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with a factorial arrangement with three replications. Days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, number of tillers, spike length, straw yield, number of kernels per spike, grain yield, and 1000 seed weight were significantly affected by both fertilizer rate and varieties, but their interactions were not significant. From the results of this study, a higher grain yield of 2884.4 kg ha-1 was obtained from the Hidase variety. Likewise, a higher grain yield (3363.0 kg ha-1) was obtained from 150 kg NPS ha-1 . However, the bread wheat yield obtained at NPS rates 100 and 150 kg ha-1 did not show statistically significant differences with each other. Moreover, the Hidase variety at 100 kg ha-1 NPS rate was found to be superior in terms of economic viability. Therefore, the Hidase variety and application of 100 kg NPS ha-1 were recommended for the study area. However, as the experiment was conducted only for a single season, the repeat of the study is suggested for more seasons around the Gorche area and similar agroecology.
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    GROWTH, NODULATION AND YIELD RESPONSE OF COWPEA [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] VARIETIES TO BRADYRHIZOBIUM INOCULATION IN DALE AND HAWASSA, SIDAMA REGION, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2023) LEMLEM YOHANNES GEZAHEGN
    Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] is an important legume crop grown widely in lowland areas of Ethiopia. However, its yield remains low due to the lack of improved varieties and soil fertility decline. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the growth, nodulation, and yield response of cowpea varieties to Bradyrhizobium inoculation in Dale and Hawassa, Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia during the 2022 main cropping season. The treatment combination consisting of four cowpea varieties (Bole, TVU, White Wonder Trailing, and Keti), with two levels of Bradyrhizobium inoculation (non-inoculated and inoculated with the strain: MBI-cowpea) was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The size of each experimental plot was 2 m in length x 4. 2 m in width with inter and intrarow spacing of 0.6 and 0.2 m respectively, as well as 1 and 1.5 m between two adjacent plots and replications, respectively. The representative soil samples were randomly taken from the experimental sites from 20 different spots at a depth of 0–20 cm and analyzed the soil texture, soil pH, total N, organic carbon, available P, and cation exchange capacity at Hawassa university soil science laboratory. Phenology, growth, nodulation and yield related parameter data’s were collected and subjected to ANOVA using SAS software version 9.0. The economic analysis was carried out using partial budget procedure. The results revealed that the day to 50% flowering, day to 90% physiological maturity, nodule fresh and dry weight, plant height, number of primary branches, fresh and dry shoot weight, root fresh weight, number of pods plant-1 , number of seeds pod-1 , hundred seed weight, and grain yield were significantly influenced by the main effect of varieties and Bradyrhizobium inoculation. However, days to 50% emergence and harvest index were significantly affected only by varieties. The nodule number, effective nodule, leaf area, leaf area index, root dry weight, root length, above ground biomass, and straw yield were significantly influenced by the interaction effect of varieties and Bradyrhizobium inoculation. Grain yield was positively and strongly correlated with nodule number, nodule dry weight, plant height, leaf area, shoot and root dry weight, number of pods plant-1 , pod length, number of seeds pod-1 , above ground biomass, and straw yield. The results showed that the White Wonder Trailing variety with Bradyrhizobium strain MBI-cowpea produced the highest grain yield (3.5 t ha-1 ), with a net benefit of 67171.3 ETB ha-1 and a marginal rate of return of 1386.7%. Therefore, this combination could be recommended to increase the grain yield of cowpea and economic profit earned in the study areas, and areas having similar agroecologies. However, this experiment was conducted in a single season, a lower number of varieties and two levels of Bradyrhizobium strain, repeating over multiple seasons, using a large number of cowpea varieties, and more Bradyrhizobium strains will be demanding to come up with a plausible recommendation.
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    EFFECT OF ROW SPACING ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L) VARIETIES AT SHESHEMENE DISTRICT, WEST ARSI ZONE IN OROMIA REGIONAL STATE.
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2023) JEMILA MENGISTU
    Wheat is among important cereal crops produced by many farmerrs in Ethiopia, having a great nutritional and economic importance. However its productivity has been constrained due to various biotic and abiotic factors. An experiment was conducted at Farmers’ Training Centre of Sheshemene, West Arisi zone of Oromia Region in Ethiopia in 2021 main cropping season, to study the response of different wheat varieties to various row spacing. The experiment was laid out in RCBD design with Factorial Arrangement having four replications. Four varieties of Bread wheat (Shorma, Pavon 76, Ogolcho and King bird) and three row spacing (15, 25 and 35 cm) were studied during the course of study. The interaction effect of variety and row spacing were not significant in yield, plant height and harvesting index and characters studied. The effects of row spacing was not significant either on number of tillers, spike length and days to maturity. However, the effect of row spacing was significant (P<0.05) on harvest index, ,number of seeds per spike, thousand seed weight ,plant height, total biomass weight, days to heading and grain yield. For each trait the maximum value was obtained at row spacing of 15 cm. The effect of variety was significant on all parameters . Variety shorma had the maximum values in number of tillers(10.2), plant height (81.8 cm), total biomass weight (4.39g), grain yield (4405 kg/ha), spike length (7.32cm), number of seeds per spike (57.0kg), and thousand seed weight (37.5 gram). The use of Variety Shorma on spacings of 15cm can be recommended for production of bread wheat for the study area and other areas with similar agro ecologies.Based on reaserch finding15cm spacing gives highire yield with variety shorma .Therfore the effect of row spacin on yield and yield component of bread wheat varieties need father reaserch.
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    EFFECTS OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER RATES ON GRAIN YIELD AND QUALITY OF MALT BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L.) VARIETIES IN KOFELE WOREDA, WEST ARSI ZONE, ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2022) AHMED GELETO
    Malt barley being an important cash crop of Kofele Woreda and was cultivated for both home consumption and for market. However, its productivity and grain quality was constrained mainly by low yielding varieties and application of low levels of N fertilizers. Thus, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer rates on growth, yield, yield components and quality of malt barley varieties and to determine economic optimum rates of nitrogen fertilizer that give high grain yield of acceptable malt quality. A three malt barley varieties (Traveler, IBON and Local) and four levels of N fertilizer rate (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha-1 ) was arranged in three replications of RCBD. Data was collected on 12 agronomic and seven malt quality traits. The study revealed that the N main effect was significant for all agronomic and quality traits except for TKW, HI, and GPR. There was significant difference among the varieties in DH, DM, PH, SL, NET, KPS, GPR, GPS, HLW and GE. The VxN interaction was significant for DH, DM, PH, SL and two of the seven quality traits (AE and HLW; malt quality traits were less affected by GxE interaction. The study revealed that nitrogen fertilization with 150kg ha-1 nitrogen fertilizer rate improved barley yield and quality.The maximum (3904.75kg ha-1 ) and minimum (2977.25kg ha-1 ) grain yield were observed from Travelear treated with 150 kg ha-1 N and IBON treated with 0 kg ha-1 N, respectively. In the present investigation, quality parameters increased with an increase in N rate, application of 150 kg N ha-1 gave the highest quality parameters studied except sieve test. Partial budget analysis revealed maximum net benefit of Birr 78095 ha-1 with an acceptable marginal rate of returns (MRR) of 2675.7% with the treatment Traveler variety with combination of 150kg N ha-1 . The lowest net benefit of (Birr 59545 ha-1 ) was recorded from IBON barley variety treated with 0 kg ha-1 Nitrogen fertilizer rate. Therefore, production of Traveler variety in combination with 150 kg N ha-1 was economical, and recommended for production of malt barley in the study area.
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    GROWTH, NODULATION, AND YIELD OF MUNGBEAN (Vigna radiata L. (Wilczek) AS AFFECTED BY THE COMBINED USE OF BIOCHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AT HAWASSA, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2021) TAMIRAT TADEWOS GIYA
    Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. (Wilczek) is a short duration, legume crop cultivated for consumption, industrial processing, with a potential for alleviation of climate change effects on crop production due to its biological nitrogen fixing ability. Integrated use of bio-chemical fertilizers is beneficial in achieving sustainable crop yield improvement and sole dependency on chemical fertilizer is not recommendable due to its unaffordable cost and contribution to climate change. Hence, this experiment was conducted under field condition in the 2019/20 main cropping season at Hawassa University experimental site to determine the combined effects of bio-chemical fertilizer sources on the growth, nodulation, and yield of mungbean. The factorial combinations of four bio-slurry levels (control, 50, 100, and 150%) and four inoculant/N fertilizer treatments (control, 23kg N ha-1 , strain MB-001, and 23kg N + strain MB-001) were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Data on growth, nodulation, gas-exchange, and yield parameters were collected following the standard procedures. The results revealed that the interaction effects of bio-slurry and inoculant/N fertilizer had a marked effect on phenology, nodulation, and yield parameters. Combined application of bio-slurry and inoculant/N fertilizer delayed days to flowering and days to physiological maturity. Rhizobium inoculation alone and applying with 100% bio-slurry resulted in significant improvement in nodule number, nodule dry weight, and nodule diameter of mungbean. Similarly combined application of bio-slurry and inoculant/N fertilizer had shown a significant impact on a hundred seed weight, above ground biological, grain, and straw yields. For instance, the application of 150% bio-slurry with 23 kg N ha-1 resulted in the highest biological and straw yield whereas the application of 100% bio-slurry with inoculant resulted in marked improvement of seeds pod-1 and grain yield. Pod number plant-1 and hundred seed weight were highest when 100% bio-slurry was applied. The highest net benefit with the highest marginal rate of return was obtained from the combined application of 50% bio-slurry with 23kg ha-1 N fertilizer followed by 100% bio-slurry with Rhizobium inoculation. From this result, it can be concluded that the application of 50% bio-slurry ha-1 in combination with 23kg ha-1 N fertilizer can be recommended for mungbean production in the experimental area and areas having similar agroecology and socio-economic status.
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    EFFECT OF PLANT DENSITY ON GROWTH, YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF COMMON BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) VARIETIES AT CENTRAL RIFT VALLEY OF ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2021) SHANKO BAKURE TUFA
    Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the major grain legumes grown in various parts of Ethiopia. Despite, the productivity and quality of bean crops was determined due to lack of improved varieties, poor soil fertility, lack of optimum planting date, row and plant spacing, weed and disease control, and weather conditions. Hence, two field experiments were conducted at Arsi Negele and Melkassa Agricultural Research Center during 2019 main cropping seasons to evaluate the effect of plant density on growth, yield and yield components of common bean varieties. The treatments includes: three plant spacing (5, 10, and 15cm), three row-spacing (30, 40, and 50cm) and three released common bean (Dame, SER-119 and KAT-B9) varieties laid out in factorial arrangement with RCBD design in three replications. The results revealed that plant height, leaf area, leaf area index, number of primary branches, shoot dry weight, initial and final stand count as well as nodulation parameters such as nodule number and dry weight were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by plant spacing, row spacing and varieties at both study sites. Similarly, pods plant-1 , seeds pod-1 , total dry biomass and grain yield were significantly influenced by plant spacing, row spacing and varieties at both locations. Hundred seed weight was affected by all factors at both sites. Harvest index was affected only by varieties at MARC, whereas all factors affected the harvest index at Arsi Negele. The narrower row and plant spacing (30 x 5, 40 x 5 and 50 x 5) had higher total dry biomass. The economic analysis indicated that the highest net benefits (32417.1, 31117.72, 30303.47 and 32233.61 ETB) were obtained from the treatment combinations of (50 cm x 10 cm and 30 cm x 15 cm) with SER-119, (40 cm x 5 cm) with dame and (50 cm x 5 cm) with KATB9 at both studied sites respectively. In addition to these treatment combinations of (40 cm x 10 cm, 40 cm x 15 and 50 cm x 15 cm) were also worth’s better yield for all the three given varieties. From this research output varieties SER-119 and KAT-B9 performs better yields ha -1 at Arsi Negele and MARC, whereas; Dame achieves better yield at Arsi Negele than MARC. Finally, repeated researches have been conducted to confirm the outcomes on similar agroecological zones in depth.