Agrotechnology

Abstract

Response of Potato Yield (Solanum tuberosum L.) To Boron Blended Mineral Fertilizer Levels on Chromic Luvisols of Southern Highland Ethiopia

Melkamu Hordofa Sigaye*, Kidist Kebede and Ribika Mekuria

The drive for higher agricultural production without the balanced use of fertilizers created problems of soil fertility exhaustion. Inorganic fertilizers have been the important tools to overcome soil fertility problems and also responsible for a large part of the food production increases. The study was conducted at Bule, Gedio Ethiopia, and aimed to determine the optimum level of NPS-B and by supplementing N from urea rates for maximum yield of bread wheat production and to determine the economically optimum level of NPSB and by supplementing N from urea fertilizer. The treatments were: (100 kg ha^-1 NPSB + 150 kg ha^-1 Urea), (150 kg ha^-1 NPSB+150 kg ha^-1 Urea), (200 kg ha^-1 NPS+150 kg ha^-1 Urea), (250 kg ha^-1 NPS+150 kg ha^-1 Urea), (100 kg ha^-1 NPSB + 250 kg ha^-1 Urea), (150 kg ha^-1 NPS + 250 kg ha^-1 Urea), (200 kg ha^-1 NPSB + 250 kg ha^-1 Urea), (250 kg ha^-1 NPBS + 250 kg ha^-1 Urea), (100 kg ha^-1 NPSB + 350 kg ha^-1 Urea), (150 kg ha^-1 NPSB + 350 kg ha^-1 Urea), (200 kg ha^-1 NPSB + 350 kg ha^-1 Urea), (250 kg ha^-1 NPSB + 350 kg ha^-1 Urea), control and R NP (69N 46 P2O5). The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The result showed that maximum marketable tuber yield of (37.8 tone ha^-1) and unmarketable tuber yield (3.4 tone ha^-1) and total maximum tuber yield (41.1 tone ha^-1) were obtained from the application of 250 kg ha^-1 of NPSB and 350 kg ha^-1. Application of 250 kg ha^-1 of NPSB and 350 kg ha^-1 of Urea fertilizers were superior in marketable tuber yield by 31.9% and 75.4% from recommended NP and control or unfertilized plot. The economic analysis revealed that the highest net benefit of 1042543.0 ETB ha^-1 with marginal rate of return (MRR) of 273.0% was obtained in response to the application of 200 kg ha^-1 of blended NPSB with 250 kg ha^-1 of Urea. However, the lowest net benefit was obtained from an unfertilized or control plot. Therefore, applications of 250 kg ha^-1 NPSB of blended plus 350 kg ha^-1 of urea is economically advisable for farmers in the Bule districts Gedio, of southern Ethiopia and areas with similar agro-ecological and soil conditions for better potato production;

Published Date: 2021-05-25; Received Date: 2021-05-04