Abstract
Little is known about soil nutrient practice effects on soil moisture under cereal cropping systems. The objective of this research was to evaluate soil moisture content (SMC) response to short-term nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer rates applied on tef crop varieties and their interactions. A rain-fed fertilizer experiment using tef varieties as the test crop was conducted for two years (2012-2013) in the Chromic Cambisols of northern Ethiopia. The experimental design was laid down in randomized complete block design with three replications. Two treatment factors, namely, fertilizer (four N + P rates) and variety (three tef varieties), were tested. Soil samples were taken at different tef crop growth stages or days after sowing time (DAS) to determine SMC using the gravimetric method. Data were analyzed at a probability level of 0.05. The fertilizer treatments significantly affected the SMC determined at the different tef growth stages and cropping seasons. The highest SMC was determined at 33 DAS (51 m3·m−3), but SMC decreased with increasing fertilizer rates. A higher SMC response to local tef variety than improved variety was found across all the growth stages and cropping seasons. There were also significant differences in SMC among the treatment interactions determined at the different growth stages and across the years. The paired mean differences in SMC due to the treatments between the two years were strongly correlated (r > 0.90, P=0.001). For SMC response being effective to fertilizer and its interaction effect with variety, it is suggested that soil management practices that improve moisture such as organic sources should be integrated with the inorganic fertilizer in the conditions of Chromic Cambisols in northern Ethiopia.
Highlights
Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is Ethiopian domesticated cereal crop which grows widely under diverse environmental conditions, i.e., from the sea level up to 2800 m above the sea level under a range of rainfall, temperature, and soil conditions [1, 2]. is crop covers 29% of the total cereal production areas and is a staple food for more than 50 million people in Ethiopia [3]
SMC Response to Fertilizer Rates and Tef Varieties in 2012-2013 Cropping Seasons. e analysis of variance of soil moisture content (SMC) response to the main effects in the 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons is shown in Tables 2 and 3, respectively. e mean SMC determined with respect to the responses to the N + P fertilizer rates at the different crop growth stages during the 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons is shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b) and Figures 3(a) and 3(b), respectively
Such result in SMC was expected because the soil samples determined at sowing time were collected before the treatments were imposed on the plots. ere was nonsignificant difference in SMC response between F2 and F3 at 33 days after sowing time (DAS) (Figure 2(a)). e highest SMC response to F1 (53 m3·m−3) was determined at 33 DAS followed by 49 DAS. is could be due to the peak rainfall which was recorded during the tillering stage of the crop. e lowest SMC response to F4 (8 m3·m−3) was determined at 120 DAS
Summary
Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is Ethiopian domesticated cereal crop which grows widely under diverse environmental conditions, i.e., from the sea level up to 2800 m above the sea level under a range of rainfall, temperature, and soil conditions [1, 2]. is crop covers 29% of the total cereal production areas and is a staple food for more than 50 million people in Ethiopia [3]. Tef crops have been introduced globally to several countries (e.g., USA, Australia, India, Eritrea, and Kenya) because of its gluten-free high nutritional and market values for different purposes [4] Despite such expansion and demand of tef crops, the average yield of tef (
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