Effect of NPK and Blended Fertilizer Application on Nutrient Uptake and Use Efficiency of Selected Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Varieties Under Rain-fed Condition in Sheraro District, Northern Ethiopia
Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important cereal crop and stable food for the semi-arid small scale farming communities in the third world. Even though, it is highly adapted to different agro-ecological conditions, its yield is constrained by different factors including declining soil fertility and improper utilization of fertilizer. Results of the research conducted in Shire-Mytsebri Agricultural Research Center at Sheraro sub-site during the main cropping season of 2016 are presented in the paper. The aim was to investigate the effect of NPK; and blended fertilizer on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium uptake; and nutrient use efficiency of selected sorghum varieties. The treatments are comprised of factorial combination of ten levels of fertilizers including the recently recommended [N, P, Blanket recommendation (NP), NPK, NPS, NPKS, NPKSZn, NPKSZnB, NPKSZnB (after Agricultural Transformation Agency, ATA) and Control (0)]. Two sorghum varieties (Melkam and Dekeba) were tested in a Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The data were computed using four agronomic indices, which are commonly used to describe nutrient (N, P and K) uptake and use efficiency. The results indicate that there is a significant interaction effect of fertilizer treatments and sorghum varieties on majority of the parameters studied. Application of NPKSZn blended fertilizer significantly enhanced nutrient uptake and use efficiency. The highest total N (78.70 kg ha-1), P (51.19 kgha-1) and K (74 kg ha-1) uptake and use efficiency in Melkam variety treated by fertilizer contained NPKSZn brought higher yield (5541 kg ha-1). Increasing uptake of the major nutrient elements ensured ample nutrient availability for normal growth and high yield of sorghum. Thus, application of macronutrients in combination with micronutrients increased sorghum yield and concomitantly improved N, P and K uptake, and nutrient use efficiency for the sorghum varieties used in the study. Therefore, it is recommended that in the study area and other similar areas blended fertilizer 41N-46P-13.7K-9.25S-1.72Zn kg ha-1 be used to achieve higher yields.
Downloads
References
Alloway, B.J. 2008. Zinc in Soils and crop nutrition: International fertilizer industry association. 2nd edition, IZA and IFA Brussels, Belgium and Paris, France, pp1-135.
Assefa, A. 2008. Indigenous soil nutrient supply and effects of fertilizer application on yield, N, P and K uptake, recovery and use efficiency of barley in three soils of Teghane, the Northern Highlands of Ethiopia. African J. Agricultural Research, 3(10):688-699.
CSA. 2015. Central Statistical Agency, Report on area and production of crops. Statistical Bulletin 578. Addis Ababa.
Doggett, H. 1970. Sorghum. Longman, Green and Co. Ltd. London, UK, pp1- 403.
EEA (European Environment Agency). 2005. Agriculture and environment in EU-15 – the IRENA indicator report. European Environmental Agency, Copenhagen, pp1-128. Ethiopian Soil Information System (EthioSIS). 2013. Ethiopian soil map.
Fageria, N., Dos santos, K., Cutrim, A & Dos, A. 2009. Nitrogen uptake and its association with grain yield in lowland rice genotypes. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 32:1965-1974.
Food Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO) (1985). FAO statistical data: www.faostat.fao.org.
Gebremeskel, G., Yemane, G & Solomon, H. 2017. Response of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) varieties to blended fertilizer on yield, yield component and nutritional content under irrigation in Raya valley, Northern Ethiopia. Inter J Agri Biosci, 6(3): 153-162.
Geremew, G., Asfaw, A., Taye, T., Tesfaye, T., Ketema, B & Hilemichael, H. 2004. Development of sorghum varieties and hybrids for dryland areas of Ethiopia. Uganda Journal of Agricultural Science, 9:594–605.
More inside the PDF
Copyright (c) 2018 Momona Ethiopian Journal of Science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE POLICY
The Momona Ethiopian Journal of Science accepts the manuscripts for consideration with the understanding that the manuscript has not been published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Only original articles will be considered for publication if they have been published previously as abstracts, but not if they have been published previously as extended abstract (>1000 words). This applies to both electronic and print versions of the journal. The authors should assign copyright ownership to the Editorial Office of MEJS in the event that the manuscript is accepted for publication in the Momona Ethiopian Journal of Science. All accepted manuscripts must be accompanied by a copyright statement signed by all authors. A copy of the copyright form will be supplied along with the final reviewed version of the manuscript that is sent for final proof- reading. Authors may make multiple copies of the form if necessary and send to the Editorial Office with author’s signature(s) even individually.
All articles published by Momona Ethiopian Journal of Science (MEJS) are Open Access under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Under this license, authors retain ownership of the copyright for their content, and anyone can copy, distribute, or reuse articles as long as the author and original source are properly cited. In all these cases for re-use, the authors will be given proper credit to the original publication in MEJS.