Effects of Seed Rate and Row Spacing on Yield and Yield Components of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Dalbo Awtaru Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of seed rate and row spacing on yield and yield components of bread wheat at Dalbo Awtaro woreda, Wolaita Zone, on farmer’s field during 2015 main cropping season. Four levels of seed rates (75, 100, 125 and 150 kg ha^-1) and three row spacing (20,25and 30 cm) were tried .The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a factorial arrangement and replicated three times. The results showed that using of different row spacing had no significant effect on parameters that have been taken except the plant height; however plant height, number of tiller per plant, spikelet per spike, grains per spike, biological yield, grain yield and straw were significantly affected by different seed rates. The interaction of seed rate and row spacing also did not show significant difference except for plant height. The use of 75 kg seed ha^-1 resulted in the highest  plant height(83.87cm),maximum number of tillers per plant(20.37)and productive tillers per plant(2.30),whereas 100kg seed ha-1 gave the highest biological yield(7.98tha^-1),maximum grain yield (2.78tha^-1) and straw(5.27t ha^-1).

Keywords: Wheat, Triticum aestivum , Seed rate ,  Row spacing