Abstract
The use of right amount of fertilizer based on crop requirement has a significant importance for sustainable crop production. Study was undertaken to investigate the effects of NPSZnB blended fertilizer for maize yield production at Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana districts. Seven treatments were used for the field experiment. Treatments were without fertilizer, blanket recommended NP (64 kg N ha-1+69 kg P2O5 ha-1) and five treatments of blended fertilizer rates (150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 kg NPSZnB ha-1). Treatments were laid out in RCBD design with three replications. The results revealed that among fertilizers rates significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected almost all the maize traits tested except tasseling, silking and maturity in Laelay Adiyabo district. However, in Medebay Zana district except tasseling, silking and maturity, plant height and thousand seeds weight, the rest parameters of above ground biomass yield, stover yield grain yield and harvest index were found significantly (P<0.05) affected by the fertilizer treatments. Highest stover yields (11.12 and 11.76 t ha-1) were obtained from application of 150 and 250 kg NPSZnB ha-1for Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana districts, respectively. At both districts of Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana areas the highest grain yields (3.20 and 2.97 t ha-1) were obtained, respectively from application of NPSZnB fertilizer at the rate of 300 kg ha-1, while the minimum grain yields of both districts were obtained from the control checks. The highest marginal rate of returns of 242 and 255% were obtained from application of 150 kg NPSZnB ha-1in both Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana districts, respectively. Therefore, based on the result obtained from this study 150 kg NPSZnB ha-1 can be recommended as profitable for the production of maize at both districts of the study areas. Key words: Blended fertilizer, maize yield, profitability.
Highlights
In Ethiopia agriculture, maize is one of the pillar cereal crops ranking first in total production and productivity, and second to tef in area coverage (FAOSTAT, 2017)
In spite of the large area coverage under maize, the national (Ethiopia) and regional (Tigray) average grain yields were reached about 3.6 t ha-1 FAOSTAT (2017)
The field experiments were conducted at Laelay Adyabo and Medebay Zana districts, North western Zone of Tigray regional state located at 1783 and 2093 m above sea level, respectively for two consecutive main cropping seasons under rain fed conditions during 2017 and 2018
Summary
In Ethiopia agriculture, maize is one of the pillar cereal crops ranking first in total production and productivity, and second to tef in area coverage (FAOSTAT, 2017). In spite of the large area coverage under maize, the national (Ethiopia) and regional (Tigray) average grain yields were reached about 3.6 t ha-1 FAOSTAT (2017). Shallow soil depth, high run-off and low infiltration capacity of the soil are the major constraint for sustainable agricultural production in Tigray. Soil erosion and limited use of external nutrient inputs severely exhausted plant nutrients from the soil and declined soil fertility because of high nutrient losses, and are the major factors limiting crop production in rainfed and irrigated farms of the different agro-ecological zones of Tigray (Virgo and Munro, 1978; Mitiku, 1996). Nutrient mining due to sub optimal fertilizer use coupled with unblended fertilizer use favored the emergence of multi nutrient deficiency in Ethiopian soils (Astatke et al, 2004; Wassie et al, 2010; Wassie and Shiferaw, 2011) and resulted in stagnant crop production
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