Pre-extension Demonstration of Soil Test Based NPS Fertilizer Recommendation under Lime Application for Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Horo Distric at Horo Guduru Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Wheat is a major crop produced in Ethiopian high lands and in particularly in study area, which is a staple food crop. Soil nutrient depletion restrains agricultural crop production and economic growth. A major challenge on recommendations on the amount and type of fertilizers to applied in the country level and in the study area. Soil test based phosphorous calibration study was conducted on bread wheat for three consecutive years for determination of the values of critical level phosphorus (10 ppm) and phosphorus requirement factor (11.03 kg/ha) in Horo District. This District was selected purposively based on potential Bread wheat production. Due to Ethiopia begun to use NPS fertilizer recently, Optimum NPS fertilizer rate for bread wheat production was determined in Horo District. In order to gain confidence in the diffusion of technology to end users, a pre-extension demonstration of the NPS fertilizer recommended rate for bread wheat based on soil tests was completed in the Horo district. The goal of this demonstration was to allow farmers to participate and test the technology during the 2020–21 cropping season. There were two treatments presented: a blanket recommendation and 100% phosphorous critical NPS at optimum nitrogen (46 kg/ha). The research findings were that the soil test crop-based NPS fertilizer rate application from 100% phosphorous critical NPS at optimum nitrogen (46 kg/ha) was recommended for the production of bread wheat in the Horo district. The analysis of variance indicated that, the highest grain yield (4110 kg/ha) was obtained from the application of Soil Test based NPS fertilizer recommendation (STBFR) whereas the lowest grain yield 3322.67 kg/ha from the blanket fertilizer recommendation. The economic analysis also revealed that the maximum net benefit 87089.40 Ethiopia Birr was obtained from STBFR. Soil test based NPS fertilizer recommendation was economically feasible and the highest Marginal rate of return and net income were obtained from soil test based fertilizer recommendation. Therefore, 100% Pc from NPS and Nitrogen 46 kg/ ha fertilizer rate recommended for bread wheat production and productive in the study area. Further scaling up/out the technology to reach more produced in the same soil type and agro ecology in particularly Eastern Wollega Zone and Horo district.