Grain Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Economic Benefits of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production as Influenced by Nitrogen Split Application Timing in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

This experiment was initiated to evaluate the appropriate nitrogen fertilizer split application timing for Hidase bread wheat variety. This experiment was done at Holeta Agricultural Research center, West Shoa, Ethiopia. The split nitrogen  application times were  ½  at sowing + ½  at mid tillering,  ½   at sowing + ½  at anthesis, nil at sowing + ½  mid tillering + ½  at anthesis, nil at sowing + full at mid tillering, nil at sowing + full at anthesis,  ½   at sowing + 2/3 at mid tillering, 1/3  at sowing + 1/3 mid tillering + 1/3 at anthesis, nil  at sowing + 1/3 mid tillering +  2/3 at anthesis, 2/3 at sowing + 1/3 mid tillering,  2/3  at sowing + 1/3 at anthesis, full at sowing and negative control. The experiment was laid out randomized complete block design with three replications. The wheat variety was investigated for plant height, productive tiller number, spike length, seed number per spike, thousand seed weight, above ground biomass yield and grain yield. Timing of nitrogen fertilizer has significant effect on the yield and yield component wheat. Timing of nitrogen fertilizer one third at sowing plus two third at mid tillering gave the highest plant height, spike length, number of productive tillers, number seeds per spike and thousand kernel weight and harvest index, compared with other nitrogen timing.  Application of nitrogen fertilizer one third at sowing plus two third at mid tillering gave the highest grain yield. This application method gave a yield advantage of 13.3 % over the commonly practiced 1/2 at sowing and 1/2 at mid tillering. It also gave the highest economic return and agronomic Nitrogen Use Efficiency.

Keywords: split application timing, nitrogen fertilizer, Grain yield, Nitisols, wheat