Seed and Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates Effect on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Irrigated Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at Werer, Middle Awash, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

An offseason field experiment was conducted in 2015-2016 at Werer agricultural research center, Middle Awash, Afar regional state to determine effect of seed and nitrogen fertilizer rates on growth, yield and yield components of irrigated bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were factorial combination of five nitrogen levels (0, 23, 46, 69, and 92 kg N ha-1) with four seed rates (75, 100, 125, and 150 kg ha-1). The results of the study revealed that both main and interaction effect of N and seed rates affected leaf area, stand count, number of spikes, spikelet’s per spike, spike length, grain yield, thousand grain weight, biological yield, straw yield, and harvest index, while days to 50% seedling emergence (seed rate only), days to heading, days to 85% physiological maturity, plant height, effective tillers, total tillers, and number of kernels were affected by main effect of N levels only. Maximum and minimum grain and straw yields (3724.2kg/ha; 1206.5kg/ha) and (7783.9kg/ha; 3594.7kg/ha) were obtained at 92kg N/ha with 125kg/ha seed rate, and 0kgN/ha with 75kg/ha seed rate, respectively.