ISSN: 2456-0162

International Journal of
Volume 8, Issue 1, 2022

Plant Biotechnology DOI (Journal): 10.37628/IJPB

http://biotech.journalspub.info/?journal=IJPB&page=index

Research IJPB

Evaluation of NPSB Fertilizer Rate to Improve Wheat

Productivity in Cheha and Yem Districts of Southern
Ethiopia
Sasahu Lewot1,*, Tarekegn Tefera2, Jemal Mohamed3, Eyerusalem Mohamed4, Paulos Ketema5

Abstract
Wheat is one of the major grain crops grown in Ethiopia for both home consumption and market.
However, its productivity is low due to limited knowledge of fertilizer application rate and low
availability of soil nutrients. Therefore, this research was conducted in 2018 to2019 during the main
cropping season to determine best fertilizer rate for better production of wheat. The experiment
consists of eight treatments such as a control, 92 N 62 P2o5 kgha–1, (81.57 NPS kgha−1, 100 NPSB
kgha−1, 150 NPSB kgha−1, 200 NPSB kgha−1, 250 NPSB kgha−1, 300 NPSB kgha−1 and each
supplements with 125 kgha−1, 10 kgha−1, 38 kgha−1, 68 kgha−1, 97 kgha−1, 126 kgha-1urea top-dress
respectively). A randomized complete block design with three replicates was used in the experiment.
Combined analysis of the results revealed that spike length, plant height, biomass and grain yield
were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the application of different amounts and types of inorganic
fertilizers. The highest biomass (13833 kg/ha) was obtained when application of 250 kgha–1 NPSB +
97 urea kgha–1 and maximum grain yield (4442 kgha–1) obtained when application of 300 kgha–1
NPSB + 126 kgha–1. The economic analysis showed that application of 250 kgha-1 NPSB + 97 kgha–1
urea gave economic benefit of 106385ETB with acceptable marginal rate of return 26900%.
Therefore it could be concluded that application of 250 kgha–1 NPSB + 97 urea ha–1 economically
profitable for yield of wheat production in this study area.

Keywords: Inorganic fertilizer, fertilizer rate, fertilizer type, wheat yield

INTRODUCTION
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one among the principal important cereals in the highlands regions
and accounts for 1/3 of the world's population as a staple food [1] and out performs other cereal crops
by miles and provides additional protein [2]. Ethiopia is the second one biggest wheat producer in
sub-Saharan Africa, in Ethiopia wheat is the important staple food crop, and especially in urban areas.
Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in sub-Saharan Africa with more than 1.8 million hectares per
year [3]. It ranks fourth after corn, teff and
*Author for Correspondence
Sasahu Lewot sorghum in both area and production [4]. In
E-mail: [email protected] Ethiopia is the fourth ranked cereal crops produced
1–5 by 35% of all small farmers in the country the
Researcher, Department of Natural Resource Management
Research Directorate, Southern Agricultural Research demand of agricultural products in Ethiopia
Institute, Worabe Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box 21, increased in proportion with the faster growing
Worabe, Ethiopia
population, It can be grown in a variety of soil
Received Date: March 16, 2022 types, but it thrives best in fertile, well-drained silt
Accepted Date: March 28, 2022 and clay loam soils. [5]. The average wheat yield in
Published Date: April 10, 2022
the 2017/2018 growing season was only 2.9 tons
Citation: Sasahu Lewot, Tarekegn Tefera, Jemal Mohamed, ha–1 [4]. The average yield is above the country
Eyerusalem Mohamed, Paulos Ketema. Evaluation of NPSB
Fertilizer Rate to Improve Wheat Produtivity in Cheha and
wide average yield however which remains very
Yem Districts of Southern Ethiopia. International Journal of low compared to the yield ability of wheat (6 tons
Plant Biotechnology. 2022; 8(1): 20–25p. ha−1). The low yield is typically allied to the

© JournalsPub 2022. All Rights Reserved 20

Evaluation of NPSB Fertilizer Rate to Improve Wheat Productivity in Cheha and Yem District of Southern
Ethiopia Lewot et al.

depletion soil fertility, low degrees of chemical fertilizer usage, confined know-how on time and
charge of fertilizer utility and the unavailability of different current crop control [6]. Soil nutrient
depletion, which affects agricultural crop productivity and economic growth in Ethiopia, is one of the
first barriers to maximising food production. Annually, the net loss of nutrients from cultivated land is
estimated to be at least 40 kg N, 6.6 kg P [7] and 33.2 kg K per hectare [8]. According to [9],
Ethiopian soils have relied solely on imported fertilisers for many years, mainly urea and
diammonium phosphate (DAP), which provide N and P, despite the fact that most Ethiopian soils are
deficient in other macro-and micronutrients. Multiple nutrient deficiencies have been recognized in
Ethiopian soils due to nutrient deficiency caused by poor fertilization on the one hand and uneven
fertilization on the other [10]. According to the National Soil Database, in addition to the
macronutrients, some of the micronutrients such as zinc, boron and copper are also depleted in the soil
in the country's main cultivation area due to the long cultivation year 9]. Application of blended
fertilizer of macro and micro nutrients based on the soil test result with appropriate rate can increase
wheat production. According to [9], different blended fertilizers are developed for different agro-
ecologies by combining different elements such a; P, S, B, K, Zn, Cu and Fe, etc. In addition, the
response of plants to the application of fertilizers varies depending on the variety, climatic conditions,
soil and agricultural practices. And also different soil requires different fertilizer type. There is also
site specific fertilizer type and rate required to increase wheat production, therefore the study was
conducted to determine type and rate of different blended fertilizer for better production of wheat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Description of Experimental Site
The experiment was conducted in 2019–2020 during the main crop at a Farmer Training Center
(FTC) at Woyareto kebele in Yem and Kechot Kebele districts in Cheha districts in southern Ethiopia.
The Cheha site is located at 08o 83' 33'' N latitude and 39° 40'00'' E longitude with an elevation of
2050 m.a.s.l, and Yemi district site suited at 7°49'15.9"N and 37°29'22.3"E with altitude 1950 m.a.s.l.
The area is characterized by a monomodal precipitation pattern, occurring primarily from June to
September. The mean annual precipitation in the study area for five years was 930.6 mm with a mean
annual maximum temperature of 27.3°C and an average minimum temperature of 13°C.

Treatments and Experimental Setup

Three times with oxen, the experimental field was ploughed. The experiment consists of eight
treatments like 181.57 NPS kgha−1, 100 NPSB kgha−1, 150 NPSB kgha−1, 200 NPSB kgha−1, 250
NPSB kgha−1 , 300 NPSB kgha−1 and each supplements with 125 kg urea ha−1, 10 kg urea ha−1, 38 kg
urea ha−1, 68 kg urea ha−1, 97 kg urea ha−1, 126 kg urea ha−1respectivly; 92KgN, 62KgP205 and
control. Spacing between plot, block and row is 0.75 m, 1.5 m and 0.2 m respectively. With three
replications, the experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design. Ogolicho wheat
variety with Seed rate of 125 kgha–1 was applied by drilling by hand. Urea fertilizer was applied in
two split at sowing and tillering. Based on the exchangeable acidity, lime (CaCO3) was evenly spread
by hand at a plowing depth of 15 cm and fully mixed into the top soils and evenly applied one month
before sowing for all trial units. Other recommended agronomic practices were used during plant
growth. LR, CaCo3 (kg/ha) =cmol EA/Kg of soil*0.15m*104m2B.D (mg/m3)*1000/2000.

Soil Sampling and Analysis

First representative composite samples of the topsoil were collected in 0.20 cm taken at depth; each
trial unit was analyzed for texture, pH, % organic carbon, % TN, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and
available phosphorus immediately prior to planting. The samples were crushed to pass a 2 mm sieve
after manual homogenization.

Agronomic Data Collection

© JournalsPub 2022. All Rights Reserved 21

International Journal of Plant Biotechnology
Volume 8, Issue 1
ISSN: 2456-0162

Five randomly selected plants from the middle of the plot were measured and various agronomic
parameters determined, such as plant height, spike length measured in cm, and tiller number was
counted. The dry biomass yield was weighed and the grain yield was taken out by threshing harvested
plants.

Data Analysis
Collected data were subjected to pooled analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS 9.4 software.
Means of significant treatment effect were separated by the least significant difference at the 5% level
of significance.

Partial Budget Analysis

The costs of other production practices such as seeds and weeds were assumed to remain the same
or be negligible between treatments. Optimal treatment [11], in this experiment, the varying costs
were calculated by adding the fertilizer costs. However, other management and fixed costs were
assumed to be the same for all and not included in the calculation. The costs of blended NPSB, NPS,
TSP and urea were 16ETbirr/kg, 16ETbirr/kg,16ETbirr/kg and 15 ETbirr/kg respectively. Price of
wheat grain was 30 ETbirr/kg. The average yield was corrected down by 10% to reflect the difference
between the experimental field and the expected yield in the farmers' fields and with the farmers'
practices with the same treatments [11].

NB = GBTVC MRR (%) = ΔNI / ΔTVC* 100 where ΔNI = change in net income; ΔTVC= change
in total cost NB= net benefit GB= gross benefit.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Physiochemical Properties of the Soil of the Analyzed Experimental Field
The results of the analysis showed that the proportions of the distribution of the size of soil particles
were 17.28,49.64 and 39.28% sand, silt and clay respectively with siltclayloam. Textural class (Table
1). The soil pH and exchangeable acidity (EA) were 4.8 (pH H2O) and 0.33 mg/100g, respectively.
The pH and exchangeable acidity (EA) were 4.8 (pH H2O) and 0.33 mg/100 g, respectively. The pH
was moderately acidic [12], indicating the presence of a significant amount of exchangeable H+ and
Al3+ ions associated with acid [13]. Found that optimal soil pH values in a range of 4.1 to 7.4 are
recommended for wheat and barley production. OC and TN% were 2.02 and 0.12%, respectively, and
were classified as moderate according to [12]. The available P content at the test site is classified as
low at 8.51 mg kg1; and indicates soil capable of showing significant yield responses to the
appropriate level of nutrient application. Similarly, [14] found that soil P levels less than 12 P kgha–1
indicate a plant response to P fertilizer, with 12 to 24 kg P ha–1 indicating a likely response.

Table 1. Chemical properties of experimental site soil.

pH CEC (meqi/100g soil) %OC %TN Ava.P (ppm) BD ExH % sand % clay % silt Textural class
4.8 28.94 1.1 0.094 1.28 0.99 1.36 17.08 39.28 49.64 Siltclayloam

Fertilizer Effects on Wheat Yield and Yield Components

The application of different types and dosages of inorganic fertilizers had a significant impact on
different yield and yield parameters of wheat. As the combined result showed that in Table 2, tallest
spike length (8.95 cm) was obtained when application of 115N 108.3 P2O520S 2.13B kgha–1.
However, it did not show significant difference from treatment 92N 69 P2O512.67S kgha–1, 92 N
69p2o5 kgha–1, 23N 37.7 P2O5 6.95S 0.1B kgha–1, and 69N 72 P2O5 13S 1.4B kgha–1. The shortest
spike length (7.03 cm) recorded from the control. In comparison to the control, the different fertilizer
kinds generate a considerable difference in plant height. The height of the tallest plant (100.06 cm)
was obtained from the application of 92N 90 P2O5 17S 1.7B kgha–1. There were no significant
differences between all treatments except control and 23N 37.7 P2O56.9S 0.1B kgha–1. The lowest
plant height obtained from the control treatment that was not fertilized; and this could be due to low
levels of fertilizer nutrients in the area. Acknowledging the result of the study, the growth and

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Evaluation of NPSB Fertilizer Rate to Improve Wheat Productivity in Cheha and Yem District of Southern
Ethiopia Lewot et al.

development of plants can be significantly retarded if any of the nutrient elements in the soil are
below their threshold or are not properly balanced. The maximum above ground biomass (13833
kg/ha) was reached by applying92N 90 P2O517S1.7B kgha–1, although there is no statistical difference
compared to 69N72 P2O513S1.4B kgha–1, 92 kg N 69p205 kgha–1, 115 N108.3 P2O5 20S2.13B kgha–1,
and the minimum result obtained from the control treatment. According to [15], compound fertilizer
application had a significant impact on aboveground biomass, grain yield and straw yield. [16]
Reported that vegetative growth and biological yield are highly dependent on the consumption of
chemical fertilizers, the application of the fertilizers resulted in an increase in the biological yield of
wheat. Application of different types of fertilizers significantly affected wheat grain yield compared to
the control. The NPSB fertilizer rate significantly increased grain yield up to 92N90 P2O5 17S1.7B
kgha–1. The maximum grain yield (4442 kg/ha) was obtained with the application of 115N108.3
P2O520S2.13 kgha–1 B. However, there was no statistically significant difference with 92 N 90
P2O517S 1.7B kgha–1. The minimum result obtained from (956 kgha–1) from the control treatment.
[17] reported that wheat grain yield increases with NPSB. This result also agrees with [18] who
reported that 4207 kgha–1 was achieved with 250 kg NPSB and recommended urea.

Table 2. Over locations combined mean values of yield and yield attributes of wheat as affected by
different types and rates of blended fertilizers.
Treatment (kg/ha) Tiller numbers Spike length(cm) Plant height(cm) Biomass(kg/ha) Grain yield(kg/ha)
Control 1.38e 7.03d 70.30c 65.69e 956e
abc a ab ab
NP=92, 69 1.76 8.91 97.25 13199 3588b
cde ab ab cd
NPS=92, 69, 12.67 1.56 8.81 96.5 12583 3021cd
NPSB=23, 37.7, 6.95, 0.1 1.7bcd 8.18cb 90.36b 11583d 2668d
bcd abc ab cd
NPSB=46, 54, 10, 1.07 1.7 8.4 97.43 11990 3099c
ab abc ab abc
NPSB=69, 72,13, 1.4 1.83 8.3 97.30 13175 3594b
de c a a
NPSB=92,90,17, 1.7 1.53 8.11 100.06 13833 4142a
a a ab abc
NPSB=115,108.3,20,2.13 1.93 8.95 95.83 12845 4442a
LSD 0.2 0.7 8.86c 1186 360
CV (%) 10.01 7.01 7.95 8.27 9.44
TN = tiller number, Ph = plant height, BM = above ground biomass, GY = grain yield

Table 3. Economical benefit of wheat influenced by different blended fertilizer type and rate.
Variables Av.Yld(kg/ha) 10% adj.yld GFB(ETbirr) TCV(ETbirr) NB
Control 956e 860 25800 – 25800
NP=92, 69 3588b 3233 96990 5400 91590
NPS=92, 69, 12.67 30.21cd 2718 81540 4780.12 76759.88
NPSB=23, 37.7, 6.95, 0.1 2668d 2401 72030 1750 70280
NPSB=46, 54, 10, 1.07 3099c 2789 83670 2970 80700
NPSB=69, 72,13, 1.4 3594b 3234 97020 4220 92800
NPSB=92,90,17, 1.7 4142a 3728 111840 5455 106385
NPSB=115,108.3,20,2.13 4442a 39.99 119970 6690 113280

Table 4. Dominance analysis of wheat experiment influenced by different blended fertilizers types
and rate.
Variables TCV(ETbirr) NB MRR (%)
Control 25800 –
NPSB = 23, 37.7, 6.95, 0.1 1750 70280 2541.71
NPSB = 46, 54, 10, 1.07 2970 80700 854.09D
NPSB = 69, 72,13, 1.4 4220 92800 968D
NPS = 92, 69, 12.67 4780.12 76759.88 –2863.76D
NP = 92, 69 5400 91590 2392.41D

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International Journal of Plant Biotechnology
Volume 8, Issue 1
ISSN: 2456-0162

NPSB = 92, 90, 17, 1.7 5455 106385 26900

NPSB = 115, 108.3, 20, 2.13 6690 113280 558.29D
Av.Yld = adjust yield, GB = Growth benefit, TVC = total variable cost, NB = net benefit
Partial Budget Analysis
The applied chemical fertilizers for wheat production could affect total production cost which
varied in each treatment. As the dominancy analysis Table 3, showed thatmean value obtained from
treatment; 46N 54 P2O510S1.07B kgha–1, 69N 72 P2O513S 1.4B, 92N 69 P2O5 12.67S, 92N 62P2o5
kgha–1, and 115N 108.3 P2O520S 2.13B kgha–1, they were dominated by other treatments, therefore,
they excluded from further comparison. From the remaining treatments the highest net benefit
(106385ETbirr) with higher acceptable marginal rate of return (26900%) obtained from plot received
92N 90 P2O517S 1.7 B kgha–1 in Table 4.

CONCLUSION
The result of the study indicated that application of appropriate type and balanced rate of chemical
fertilizers increased yield and yield component of wheat. Wheat yield and yield components were
considerably impacted by different rates and types of inorganic fertiliser. The highest plant height and
above ground biomass were obtained from 92N 90 P2O5 17S1.7B kgha–1. Maximum grain yield were
obtained at application of 115N 108.3 P2O520S 2S 2.13B kgha–1, however it did not show significant
difference with treatment 92N 90 P2O5 17S1.7B kgha–1. The result of economic analysis revealed that
application of 92N 90 P2O517S1.7B kgha–1 gave the highest benefit. As a result, it could be concluded
that application of 92N90 P2O5 17S1.7B kgha–1 gave economically profitable result; therefore, it is
recommended for the study area.

Acknowledgements
The authors thank Southern Agricultural Research Institute for investment the trial and Worabe
Agricultural Research Center for better facilitating throughout experimentation.

Conflicts of Interest
Authors claim that there aren’t any conflicts regarding publication of this paper.

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