The Effect of Application of Different Rate of N-P Fertilizers Rate on Yield and Yield Components of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor): Case of Derashe Woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Derashe woreda, Sagan Peoples zone, SNNPRs, Ethiopia to evaluate the effects of application of different rates of N-P fertilizers on yield and yield components of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) this is owing to the rate of N-P fertilizer application varies from site to site due to several factors like soil nutrient status and so on. The aims of this research is to determine the effects of different rates of fertilizer of N-P for sorghum at Derashe woreda, and to determine the yield and yield components of sorghum by application of different rate of N-P inorganic fertilizers. Hence, there is a necessity to determine the definite nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer requirement of grain sorghum variety to obtain maximum yields and yield components, the experiment contained factorial combination of five levels of N/P (0/0, 23/10, 46/20, 69/30 kg,92/30 ha^-1) and was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. The results from this study indicated that the inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer showed not statistically significant different effect on plant height and sorghum heads but revealed continues increment of height, and heads respectively were significantly increased by application of nitrogen and phosphorus. However, the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus were significantly different at (P < 0.05) and (P < 0.01) on plant height, plant lodging, grain yield and total biomass. In general, grain yield, biomass, plant height and sorghum with heads were tended to be recorded highest under NP 92/30 kg ha^-1 treatment whereas on the contrast of this, the lowest grain yield, biomass weight, plant height, and sorghum with heads were obtained from control (0/0) NP treatment. Hence, the forthcoming investigations ought to focus on the way to the investigations encompassing, different agro-ecology and additional rates of nitrogen and phosphorus applications, under different management practices such as research and farmer’s field’s normal conditions, which perhaps enable pave the way for fertilizer recommendations for this specific sorghum crop for Derashe woreda.

Keywords: Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, Sorghum, yield and yield components.