Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) grain yield and yield components as influenced by phosphorus application and variety in Western Kenya

Abstract

Finger millet is one of the potential cereal crops that can contribute to the efforts of realization of food security in the Sub-Saharan Africa. However, scientific information available with regards to improving soil phosphorus supply and identification of P efficient varieties for the crops potential yield is limited. In order to investigate the effects of P levels on yield components and grain yield On-station field experiments were conducted in two sites of western Kenya during the long and short rain seasons of 2015. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design in factorial arrangement with four levels of P (0, 12.5, 25 and 37.5 kg P 2 O 5 ha-1 and three finger millet varieties (U-15, P-224 and a local check-Ikhulule) and the treatments replicated three times. The increase of phosphorus levels significantly (P≤0.05) increased the grain yield over the control up to 25 kg P 2 O 5 ha-1 during the long rain seasons and 25 kg P 2 O 5 ha-1 during the short rain seasons in both sites. Interactions at P≤0.05 were revealed on the grain yield where improved variety P-224 at 25 kg P 2 O 5 ha-1 produced the highest grain yield of 4.74 t.ha-1 in Alupe and 4.77 t.ha-1 in Kakamega and the consistent results suggest that the combination is highly recommended. Therefore the use of judicious and proper rates of P fertilizers can markedly increase the grain yield of finger millet in western Kenya.