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Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences - Vol. 10, No. 6
Publication Date: December 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/dafs.106.13900.
Wedajo, M., Kidanu, S., & Reggasa, A. (2023). Effect of Compound (NPS) Fertilizer Type on Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency of
Maize (Zea mays L.) at Beko Village in Yeki District, Southwest of Ethiopia. Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences, 10(6). 29-
39.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Effect of Compound (NPS) Fertilizer Type on Yield and Nutrient
Use Efficiency of Maize (Zea mays L.) at Beko Village in Yeki
District, Southwest of Ethiopia
Mulisa Wedajo
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Teppi Agricultural Research Center
Selamyihun Kidanu
OCP Society Anonym Commercial Representative Offices, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Alemaheyu Reggasa
Jimma University Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
Abstract
Farmer in different part of Ethiopia use similar type of fertilizer and amount that
below the crop requirements, even the low soil fertility which limit the crop
production as a general. To solve the over-blanket fertilizer application over
different agro-ecology Ethiopian Soil Information System (EthioSIS) mapping the
soil fertility and recommended types of fertilizer for specific location. The NPS type
of fertilizer where recommended for Beko village, but the rate of this fertilizer type
was not studied so far. So, this field experiment was conducted to determine the rate
of NPS fertilizer type and nutrient use efficiency of maize during the 2018 cropping
season at Beko village. A total of eight treatments with four replications were laid
out in a factorial randomized complete block design. Treatments were control (zero
fertilizer), previously recommended nitrogen and phosphorus (92 kg N/ha + 30 kg
P/ha), 150NPS +100 urea +100 K2O kg/ha, 200NPS +100 urea + 100 K2O kg/ha,
250NPS +100 urea +100 K2O kg/ha, 150NPS +150 urea +100 K2O kg/ha, 200NPS
+150 urea +100 K2O kg/ha, 250NPS +150urea +100 K2O kg/ha. Data was statistical
analyzed by SAS and mean treatment difference were compared by list significant
difference (LSD). As analysis of variance indicated that application of NPS fertilizer
were not influenced plant height, ear height, ear length, cob length, number of ears
per plant, thousand seed weight, harvest index, and shelling percentage as
compared to the previously recommended NP fertilizer but grain and biomass yield
were influenced except application of 150NPS +100 urea. Among the treatment
application of 250 NPS + 100 urea gave the highest maize grain yield (8390.1 kg/ha).
The Application of NPS fertilizer improved nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency
of maize as compared to the previously recommended NP. The highest N use
efficiency (57.98 kg/ha) was obtained from the application of 250 NPS +100 urea,
while the lowest N use efficiency (23.89 kg/ha) was from the previously
recommended NP fertilizer. As economic analysis indicated the study conclude that
application of 150 NPS +150 urea recommended for the study area.
Keywords: Blanket recommended, Grain yield, biological yield, NPS
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Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences (DAFS) Vol 10, Issue 6, December- 2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
INTRODUCTION
Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important food crops in Ethiopia as well as in Sheka zone.
Its average productivity is below 3.67 t/ha [1] when compared to the national average to 4.7
t/ha [2] and lower than the world average yield which about 5.21 t/ha [3]. Low soil fertility is
one of the bottlenecks for sustaining maize production and productivity in Ethiopia [4; 5].
Continuous crop production without improved farming practices has resulted in several
deplete nutrients and soil organic matter which affect agricultural production [6; 7]. Lower
biomass production and increasing demand of local organic matter of fuel and fodder also
accelerate the declining of soil fertility [8; 9].
In Ethiopia farmers use similar fertilizer types commonly known as urea and DAP in different
agro-ecology as a blanket recommendation [10]. Urea and DAP fertilizer provide only nitrogen
and phosphorus plant nutrients. Plants require a specific amount of certain nutrients in some
specific form at appropriate times for their growth and development. The role of both macro
and micronutrients are crucial in crop nutrient and thus important for obtaining higher yield
[11, 12; 13].
In a past decade Ethiopian Soil Information System (EthioSIS) where mapping soil fertility
status of the country. Accordingly, in addition to nitrogen and phosphorus plant nutrients other
nutrients like, potassium (K), Sulfur (S), boron (B), copper (Cu), manganese (Mg), iron (Fe), and
zinc (Zn) where deficiencies are widespread in Ethiopian soil [14, 15; 16].
According to the EthioSIS [15] four types fertilizer (NPS, NPSB, NPSBCa and NPSCa) are
suggested for Yeki District, Southwest of Ethiopia. However, the map is suggested type of
fertilizer but, the rate of those fertilizer in respective to crop type is not studied. With this back
ground, the present study was designed to evaluate the effect of NPS fertilizer type on grain
yield, nutrient use efficiency of maize and economic feasibility in Yeki district at Beko village
Southwest of Ethiopia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Description of the Study Area
The experiment was conducted in Sheka Zone Yeki District at Beko village during 2018 main
cropping season. The Yeki located in Southwest of Ethiopia in South West people of Ethiopia
regional state at an elevation of 1200 m.a.s. l, latitude of 7o10’54.5’’ and longitude of 35o25’04.5’’
East of Ethiopia and approximately 611km far from the capital city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The average maximum and minimum annual temperatures are 29.7oC and 15.5 oC respectively.
The annual rainfall in the area is unimodal distribution with average of 1559mm. The area is
dominated by Nitisols [17].
Experimental Materials
A high yield medium maturity date of hybrid maize variety (BH140) was used as a test crop.
Urea fertilizer as source of nitrogen, triple super phosphate (TSP) as phosphorus source,
potassium chloride as a source of potassium and NPS were used. Fertilizers’ TSP and NPS were
applied at planting while, urea applied in twice equal split half at knee height and the remaining
at flag leaf emergence as Tolessa [4] recommendation.
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Wedajo, M., Kidanu, S., & Reggasa, A. (2023). Effect of Compound (NPS) Fertilizer Type on Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Maize (Zea mays L.) at
Beko Village in Yeki District, Southwest of Ethiopia. Discoveries in Agriculture and Food Sciences, 10(6). 29-39
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/dafs.106.13900
Experimental Design
A field experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design with eight treatments
with four replications, an experimental plot 3.5mx3.75m length and width respectively. The
treatments consisted three level of NPS (150, 200, 250) kg/ha each combined with two levels
of urea (100, 150) kg/ha and two checks were added to each block (Control and previously
recommended 200 urea +150 TSP) kg/ha. The details treatment combination are given in Table
1.
Table 1.Treatment details
Treatment code Treatment details
T1 Control (zero fertilizer)
T2 Recommended NP (92 kg N/ha + 30 kg P/ha)
T3 150 kg NPS/ha +100 kg Urea /ha +100 kg KCl/ha
T4 200 kg NPS/ha +100 kg Urea /ha +100 kg KCl/ha
T5 250 kg NPS/ha +100 kg Urea /ha +100 kg KCl/ha
T6 150 kg NPS/ha +150 kg Urea /ha +100 kg KCl/ha
T7 200 kg NPS/ha +150 kg Urea /ha +100 kg KCl/ha
T8 250 kg NPS/ha +150 kg Urea /ha +100 kg KCl/ha
Data Collection and Analysis
Before the experimentation composite surface soil samples was collected from the plough layer
(0-20 cm) depth across the experimental plot. The composite soil sample was analyzed in
laboratory and used for analysis of soil physio-chemical properties; soil texture by Bouyoucos
hydrometer method [18], soil reaction (pH) in a 1:2.5 soil water suspension by a glass electrode
pH meter [19], total nitrogen by modified Kjeldahl method [20], available phosphorus by Olsen
method [21], available potassium by ammonium acetate extracts flame photometer [22],
available sulfur and boron by Mehlich-3 method [23], cation exchangeable capacity (CEC) [24],
organic carbon by Walkley and Black method [25], organic matter was estimated as organic
carbon multiplied by 1.74 assuming the average carbon concentration of organic matter is 58%.
Six plants from each net plot were randomly taken to measure plant height, ear height, ear
length, cob length, thousand seed weight, grain yield, biomass yield, harvest index, shelling
percentage of maize. Maize grain was taken to analysis nutrient content for nutrient use
efficiency analysis using procedure described by Fageria and Baligar [26]. A partial budget
analysis was calculated follow as CIMMTY [27] procedure. The collected data were statistically
analyzed as using SAS software package [28]. The mean differences were separated using the
list significant difference (LSD) to signify the treatment differences at a 5% level of probability.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Pre-Plant Soil Properties
The pre-plant composite soil sample were collected from the experimental field at Beko village,
Yeki district. The various soil physio-chemical properties of the experimental site were
analyzed under laboratory and the results were presented in Table 2.