Abstract
Finger-millet response to micro-dosing with N and P fertilizer in the Semi-Arid areas of eastern Uganda is not fully known. Consequently, we conducted a field study at Kuju in eastern Uganda in 2016 long and short rains. The study determined the effect of fertilizer micro-dosing and weeding time on finger-millet performance. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with a split plot treatment structure. Weeding time constituted the main plot (weeding at 20, 30, 45 DAS (days after sowing) and 20 + 45 DAS while fertilizer rates (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1; 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1; 16.6 kg N ha-1; 0 N + 0 N and 83 kg N ha-1 + 52 kg P2O5 ha-1) constituted the sub-plots. Results of this study revealed that finger-millet grain yield was highest (2182 kg ha-1) at fertilizer micro-dosing (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1) and lowest (950 kg ha-1) in plots with no fertilizer. Fertilizer micro-dose application (16.6 kg N ha-1 + 10.6 kg P2O5 ha-1) caused early flowering of finger-millet (52.2 days), whereas delayed flowering was recorded, where 16.6 kg N ha-1 (55.12 days) was applied. The interaction between time of weeding and fertilizer rates significantly (P < 0.05) increased finger millet growth and grain yield. The interaction of N and P fertilizer micro-dose with weeding once at 20 DAS had the highest finger-millet grain yield. Therefore, it is recommended that fertilizer micro-dosing can be used to enhance finger-millet productivity.
Highlights
Finger-millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) is a major food crop of the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa and fits well in dry land farming systems (Goron & Raizada, 2015)
On the otherhand, weeding once at 20 days after sowing (DAS) had the lowest number of days (93.20) to maturity and the highest average plant height attained (94.00 cm) followed by double weeding, Table 1
The results indicate that interaction of weeding at 20 DAS and fertilizer micro-dosing gave the highest grain yield (2292 kg ha-1) while the lowest finger-millet grain yield (907 kg ha-1) was observed with no fertilizer and weeding at 45 DAS (Table 7)
Summary
Finger-millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) is a major food crop of the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa and fits well in dry land farming systems (Goron & Raizada, 2015). The crop was domesticated in the highlands of Ethiopia and Uganda approximately 5000 years ago, and today it is ranked fourth globally in importance, after sorghum, pearl millet, and foxtail millet (Das, 2013). It is cultivated in more than 25 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia (Chandrasekara & Shahidi, 2010). Production of the crop is largely in the northern, eastern and western regions of the country (UBOS, 2016) It is grown mainly as a staple food crop, and contributes greatly to the incomes of rural households, women. Finger-millet plays a major role in providing for the dietary needs and incomes of the rural people who constitute more than 80% of the Ugandan population
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