Grain quality and yield response of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum l.) varieties to different rates of blended fertilizer at Kulumsa, South-eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was initiated to assess the effect of blended fertilizer of Nitrogen(N), phosphorus(P), sulfur(S) and boron(B) rate on yield and quality of Ethiopian newly release varieties of wane (2016) and king bird (2015) of bread wheat varieties by Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center Wheat Breeding Program. A field experiment was carried out in 2018 robi season to determine grain quality and yield response of bread wheat varieties to different rate of fertilizer. The treatments was factorial combination of eight levels control, recommended PN (150 kg ha-1 TSP (69 P2O5) + 158.7 kg ha-1 Urea (73 N), 100 kg NPSB (18.1N + 36.1P2O5 + 6.7S + 0.71B), 100 kg NPSB + Rec. Urea (46 kg N) , 150 kg NPSB + Rec. Urea, 200 kg NPSB + Rec. Urea, 250 kg NPSB + Rec. Urea, 300 kg NPSB + Rec. Urea) and two bread wheat varieties (wane and king bird). The experiment design was laid in Randomized Complete Block Design with factorial arrangement of two varieties. Phonological traits, grain quality parameters and yield were taken as experimental variables. The result showed that grain yield, thousand kernel weight and hectoliter weight were significantly affected by interaction of fertilizer rate and varieties. However, days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, number of productive tillers, straw yield and number of grains per spike were significantly affected by both fertilizer rate and varieties. The highest Seeds per spick (53.9), thousand kernel weight (37.3 g), and SY (9071.7 kg ha-1) in the main effect were recorded from 300 kg NPSB treatment with supplementary urea, whereas grain protein content (12.1%) was recorded from 73/69 kg recommended NP (12.1%). The interaction effect of PT and BY showed that variety Wane scored Wane7.7 PT and 14053 kg ha-1 as compared to 6.0 PT and 12009 kg ha-1 BY in variety Kingbird at 300 kg NPSB fertilizer treatment with supplementary urea; whereas the least was observed at control. The higher GY was produced in Wane (4236 kg ha-1) variety at 300 kg NPSB fertilizer treatment; but in Kingbird (3737 kg ha-1) variety 200 kg NPSB fertilizer treatment with supplementary urea. Wane variety was found to be better in terms of both agronomic and economical feasible. However, as the experiment was conducted only for a single season, the repeat of the study is suggested for more seasons around Kulumsa area and similar agro ecology.