Determination of Appropriate Seed Rate and Row Spacing of Bread Wheat for Highlands of Guji Zone

Abstract

Wheat is one of the major staple crops in Ethiopia in terms of both production and consumption. Even though it is such an important cereal crops in Ethiopia, it is giving low yield due to many production constraints such as lack of improved varieties, poor agronomic practice (inappropriate seeding rate and row spacing), diseases, weeds and low soil fertility in Ethiopia in general and in Guji zone in particular. Therefore, field experiment was conducted during the 2015-2017 main cropping season at Bore and Ana sora to assess the effect of seeding rate and row spacing on yield components and yield of bread wheat; and to determine appropriate seeding rates row spacing for bread wheat. The experiment was laid out RCBD in a factorial arrangement with three replications using a wheat variety known as ‘Huluka’ as a test crop. The treatments consisted of four levels of seeding rate (100, 125, 150 and 175 kg ha-1) and four levels of row spacing (15, 20, 25 and 30 cm) consisting a total of 16 treatments. Analysis of the results revealed that all parameters were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the interaction of the factors (seeding rate x row spacing) as well as the main effects except date to 50% heading and plant height which did not significantly (P<0.05) affected. The highest grain yield (4239 kg/ha) were obtained from combination of 150 kg/ha seeding rate and 20cm row spacing. Therefore, use of 150 kg/ha and 20cm row spacing can be recommended for production of bread wheat for the study area (Bore and Ana Sora) and other areas with similar agro ecologies.