Effect of Compost and Blended NPS Fertilizers on Yield and Yield Components of Food Barley (<i>Hordeum Vulgare </i>L.) at Welmera District, Central Highland of Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil nutrient depletion under losing of soil organic matter consequently continuous cultivation and low input are among the major issues that oblige the sustainable productivity of the yield of barley at Welmera area. A study was, hence, lead to explore the impact of compost and NPS fertilizer combination on yield and yield components of food barley at Holeta Agricultural Research Center on Nitisols in the central highlands of Ethiopia in 2019/2020 cropping season. To achieve this objective, a field trial was arranged in a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement. The treatments consisted of four rates of compost (0, 4, 8, and 12 t/ha), five rates of blended NPS fertilizer (0, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg/ha) and blanket recommended NP fertilizer (60 kg/ha N + 69 kg/ha P₂O₅) as standard check. Food barley (HB-1304 variety) was used as a test crop. The result revealed that 50% day to heading, 90% day to maturity, plant height, and spike length were positively influenced by NPS fertilizer applied to the experimental plots. On the contrary, synergistic nutrient interaction effect sourced from compost and NPS fertilizer brought positive influence on yield parameters (total number of tillers, effective tillers per plant, and grain per spike, thousand-grain yield, biomass yield, straw yield, grain yield, and harvest index). Moreover, the collective use of compost at (8 t/ha) and mineral NPS fertilizer at (150 kg/ha) has a better-improved yield of the barley crop. Likewise, the outcome of the economic analysis showed that the application of 8 t/ha compost and 150 kg/ha NPS fertilizer gave the highest economic benefit of 70528 Ethiopian birr ha^-1 with the maximum marginal rate of return of 1504%. Hence, the current study recommends that to maintain soil fertility and sustain barley crop production combined use of 8 t/ha compost and 150 kg/ha NPS fertilizer was the best alternate integrated soil fertility management choice in the position of the sole application of inorganic fertilizers for barley production at this area reluctantly. Nevertheless, further studies at different locations for more than one cropping season ought to be considered to provide a more conclusive recommendation for sustainable food barley production.