DOI: 10.11648/j.scif.20260205.22 ISSN: 3070-6289

Effects of Seeding and NPS Fertilizer Rates on Grain Yield, Yield Traits, and Quality of Durum Wheat Varieties in Bale Highlands, Southeastern Oromia

Jitu Tesega
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Despite its numerous benefits and yield potential, the current productivity of durum wheat in the highlands areas of Bale Zones, Southern Eastern Oromia is inhibited by soil fertility depletion and inappropriate plant densities per unit area and other interrelated factors. In this view, a field experiment was conducted in the 2023 and 2024 main cropping seasons at Sinana, Agarfa, and Gololcha districts to determine the optimum seeding and NPS application rates. The treatments used consisted of four seeding (125, 150, 175, 200 kg ha -1 ) of durum wheat and three NPS rates (100, 150, 200 kg ha -1 ), which constituted a total of 12 treatments per replication. The experiment was laid out in a Split-plot Design with a factorial arrangement in three replications. The results of the combined analysis revealed that the use of different levels of seeding and NPS rates significant affected grain yield and yield related-traits of durum wheat. At Sinana, 150 kg NPS ha -1 that planted at 175 seeding rates of 175 kg ha -1 produced the highest net benefit of ETB 206,433 ETB ha -1 and 200096 with marginal rate of return 884.9 and 538.3%. At Gololcha, the same combination gave net benefits of ETB 210,048 and 212,472 ETB ha -1 with an acceptable marginal rate of return 1011.9% and 123.8%. Whereas, at Agarfa, the higher grain yield (4,612 kg ha -1 ) and a net benefit of ETB 253330 ha -1 with an acceptable marginal rate of return 1708.2% attained when 150 kg NPS ha -1 that planted by 175 seeding rates was used. Therefore, it can be concluded, that the above-mentioned combination of NPS and Seed rates per respective locations are agronomically and economically viable, and recommended for durum wheat production in the study areas.

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