1. Introduction
About one third of the world population consume wheat as staple food and as compared with other cereal crops, it is reach protein and providing more. Ethiopia is likely to rely on agricultural sector as source of income and employment for the foreseeable future requiring optimal and up-to-date fertilizer recommendation packages for all crops given the fact that increasing small holder farmer’s productivity entails the integration of improved technology and adoption. Nutrient mining due to sub optimal fertilizer use coupled with imbalanced fertilizer uses have favored the emergence of multi nutrient deficiency in Ethiopian soils which in part explain fertilizer factor productivity decline and stagnant crop productivity conditions encountered despite continued use the blanket recommendation. The research result from Uganda also showed that use of low level of N and P fertilizer on maize and beans was the leading factor for nutrient depletion. Balanced fertilizers containing NPKSB and Zn in blend form have been recommended to ameliorate site specific nutrient deficiency and thereby increase land, water and labor productivity. In southern Ethiopia provides a striking example of how fertilizer use efficiency of potato can be raised when NP fertilizers are combined with K on location specific basis. In this study supplementation of K increased potato tuber yields 197% over the standard NP recommendation alone. The recent national soil inventory data also revealed SB and Zn deficiencies are widespread in Ethiopia soils, while some soils are also deficient in K, Cu, Mn and Fe, which all potentially hold back crop productivity. However fertilizer trials involving multi nutrient blends that include micronutrients are rare. Recently, a soil test based fertilizer recommendation and calibration efforts have been made by EIAR and RARIs but only limited to certain location and crop types.
According to EthioSIS fertilizer type recommendation map/atlas, eight types of fertilizer blends are identified for SNNPRS. Similarly three types of fertilizer for Angecha werda and two types of fertilizer blends were identified for kebele, but this needs validation for fertilizer type’s determination rates for the identified fertilizer types for specific crops. Therefore this study was initiated with the objectives of (1) Evaluate the relative influences of NPS and NPSCu on wheat production and (2) Determine optimum rate of the selected fertilizer type for production of wheat in Angecha woreda.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Description of Study Area
The Field experiment was conducted during 2016/17 cropping season at Angacha testing site of Areka Agricultural Research Center, Southern Ethiopia. An approximate geographical coordinates of the site is 7o 0’ N latitude and 38o 29’ E longitude having an altitude of 2381 meters above sea level. The experimental area is characterized with a bimodal pattern of rainfall that extends from February to September. Its mean annual rainfall is 1656 mm. The peak rainy months are April, July, August and September. The mean annual maximum and minimum temperatures are 24 and 14oc, respectively.
2.2. Soil Sampling and Analysis
Composite surface (0-20cm depth) soil samples were collected from each experimental site before planting and from each treatment at harvesting using auger for selected physico-chemical analysis. The collected samples were properly labeled, packed and transported to the Soil laboratory and were prepared and analyzed according to the standard procedures of.
2.3. Agronomic Data Collection
Data were collected from the experiment on growth, yield and yield component related parameters on plot and plant basis. Data such as Plant height (cm), spike length (cm), tiller number, biomass and grain yield were recorded and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA).
2.4. Data Analysis
ANOVA was carried out using SAS version 9.2 statistical software programs (SAS, 2009). Significant difference between and among treatment means were assessed using the least significant difference (LSD) at 0.05 level of probability .
3. Conclusion and Recommendation
Low or unbalanced inorganic fertilizers use was major cause for low production of crops and nutrient mining of the soils. Replenishment of deficient fertilizer nutrients based on soil test is a good strategy to improve crop production productivity in sustainable way. From the near past (last five to eight years) identification of deficient nutrient elements of soil the country by ATA and formulation of different fertilizer types for the country, helped the farmers to shift from mare urea and DAP use to more balanced blended fertilizers (macro and micro nutrients) use. Some recent reports indicated that nutrients like K, S, Ca, Mg and micronutrients particularly Cu, Mn, B, Mo and Zn are becoming depleted and deficiency symptoms are being observed on major crops in different areas of the country. The result of this experiment also has substantiated the importance application of NPSCu (combination of Cu with macronutrients NPS) fertilizers in improving yield of wheat in Angecha woreda. Despite the need of verification in multi-locations and soil types for wider use, application of NPSCu can be recommended for wheat production in the study area.