Grain Yield and Economic Evaluation of Interaction Effects of Seed Rate and N and P Fertilizations on Grain Yield of Bread Wheat Varieties in Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

A study to investigate the effect of interaction effect of seed rate and N and P Fertilizations on grain yield of bread wheat varieties was evaluated 2014 main cropping season on vertisols of Ofla and Emba Alaje districts of southern Tigray Ethiopia. The design of the experiment was split split plot design and the treatment consists, three recently released bread wheat varieties (Mekele 3, Mekele 4 and Dandaa’), assigned as a main plot, Four level of N/P205 combination (46/46, 92/69,115/92 and 138/115 kg N/P205 ha^-1) arranged in a sub plot and , four level of seed rates for each varieties (66,132,177and 221 kgha^-1 for Mekele 3,72,145,193 and 242 kgha^-1 for Mekele 4 and 79,158,210 and 263 kgha^-1 for Dandaa’ ) replicated three times.  The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate that significantly (P<0.05) varietal, fertilizer, seed rate, variety x fertilizer, variety x seed rate, fertilizer x seed rate, variety x fertilizer x seed rate interaction effect on grain yield of bread wheat varieties. Grain yield increase with increasing of seed rate and N/P205 fertilizer rate in the main effect, however  in the interaction effect of Variety, fertilizer and seed rate  indicate that 138/115kg of N/P205 ha^-1 with 177 kgha^-1 seed rate, 115/92 kg of N/P205 ha^-1 with 72 kgha^-1 seed rate and 115/92 kg  N/P205 ha-1 with 260 kgha^-1 seed rate reached higher  economical return with maximum grain yield production for , Mekele3,Mekele 4 and Dandaa’ variety respectively.

Keywords: variety, seed rate, fertilizer, wheat, interaction