The use of right amount of fertilizer based on crop requirement has a significant importance for sustainable crop production. Study was undertaken to investigate the effects of NPSZnB blended fertilizer for maize yield production at Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana districts. Seven treatments were used for the field experiment. Treatments were without fertilizer, blanket recommended NP (64 kg N ha -1 +69 kg P 2 O 5 ha -1 ) and five treatments of blended fertilizer rates (150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 kg NPSZnB ha -1 ). Treatments were laid out in RCBD design with three replications. The results revealed that among fertilizers rates significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected almost all the maize traits tested except tasseling, silking and maturity in Laelay Adiyabo district. However, in Medebay Zana district except tasseling, silking and maturity, plant height and thousand seeds weight, the rest parameters of above ground biomass yield, stover yield grain yield and harvest index were found significantly (P<0.05) affected by the fertilizer treatments. Highest stover yields (11.12 and 11.76 t ha -1 ) were obtained from application of 150 and 250 kg NPSZnB ha -1 for Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana districts, respectively. At both districts of Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana areas the highest grain yields (3.20 and 2.97 t ha -1 ) were obtained, respectively from application of NPSZnB fertilizer at the rate of 300 kg ha -1 , while the minimum grain yields of both districts were obtained from the control checks. The highest marginal rate of returns of 242 and 255% were obtained from application of 150 kg NPSZnB ha -1 in both Laelay Adiyabo and Medebay Zana districts, respectively. Therefore, based on the result obtained from this study 150 kg NPSZnB ha -1 can be recommended as profitable for the production of maize at both districts of the study areas.
Application of unbalanced nutrition was the main yield limiting factor in the study area. Hence, an experiment was conducted during the 2017 cropping season on farmers' fields to validate and determine optimum blended fertilizer rate for teff production. Eight levels of NPSB (0, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg ha-1) and recommended NP (100 kg ha-1 urea and 100 kg ha-1 TSP) were used as treatments and set in randomized complete block design with three replications. All the fertilizers were applied at planting but nitrogen was top dressed in two time split. Surface soil samples was collected before teff sowing and after harvest; with total nitrogen, available phosphorus, extractable sulfur and boron found to be at low level. Application of different blended NPSB fertilizer rates significantly affected crop phonology, yield and yield components of teff. Highest mean teff grain yield (2803.09 kg ha-1) was obtained in response to 250 kg ha-1 NPSB with 62.5 and 33.4% yield increment over the control and recommended NP. Similarly, the highest straw yield was also obtained from plot treated with that rate and it has 80 and 44.4% yield increment over the control and the recommended NP, respectively. The partial budget analysis also revealed that marginal rate of return was highest (1179.5%) at a rate of 250 kg ha-1 NPSB+46 kg N ha-1 from which better biomass and economic advantage was attained. Hence it could be concluded that it is possible for optimum teff yield to be attained using 250 kg ha-1 NPSB+46 kg N ha-1 .
Tef is a stable crop in Ethiopia in which its yield is constrained by poor soil fertility management. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years during 2016 and 2017 on clayey textural soil to assess the effect of vermicompost and inorganic fertilizer rates on yield and yield components of tef. Accordingly, field experiment with four levels of vermicompost (0, 2, 4 and 6 t ha -1 ) and four levels of NPS (0, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha -1 ) were arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a factorial combination with three replications. A tef variety, qunco was used as test crop. Analysis of the data revealed that highest grain yield (2269.80 kg ha -1 ) was obtained from the treatment of 4 t vermicompost ha -1 + 150 kg NPS ha -1 . Significantly highest straw yield (6480.60 kg ha -1 ) was obtained from the treatment of 6 t vermicompost ha -1 +200 kg NPS ha -1 , but statistically similar with 4 t vermicompost ha -1 +150 kg NPS ha -1 . To evaluate the feasibility of the treatments with view of farmers' practices, a partial budget analysis was conducted on straw and grain yield of tef and accordingly the highest marginal rate of return 4184% were obtained from combined fertilization of 4 t vermicompost ha -1 and 150 kg NPS ha -1 . Therefore, based on the data obtained from this study application of 4 t vermicompost ha -1 and 150 kg NPS ha -1 will be recommended as profitable for the production of tef at Beles kebelle Tahtay Koraro district.
Onion has economically important crop in the study area. However, its low production is due to poor soil fertility management. Thus, the present study was initiated to determine the optimal rate of blended fertilizer required for onion production. A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years during 2018 and 2019 at farmer's field Tselemti district, the experiment had 8 treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were 7 levels of NPSB (25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg ha-1), recommended rate of N and P (105 N and 92 P 2 O 5 kg ha-1), and a basal application of top dress N at rate of 69 kg ha-1 were applied for except the plot received recommended NP. The study results showed the application of blended fertilizer not significantly affected most of the crop parameters tested. However, they had a numerical difference among the treatments; since the highest (41157 kg ha-1) and lowest (32650 kg ha-1) marketable yields were obtained from a plot treated by 250 kg ha-1 plus a basal application of top dress N at rate of 69 kg ha-1 and from plots that received 50 kg ha-1 plus a basal application of top dress N at rate of 69 kg ha-1 , respectively. Therefore, experiment for onion production should carry out on omitting trial of blended fertilizer in the study area.
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