Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc)] grain yield response to nitrogen fertilizer rates in East Badewacho district, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil fertility depletion is the most important concern all over the world mainly in Sub-Saharan African. The principal one is N fertilizer and it is the most yield-limiting nutrients for crop growth, development as well as production. However, most farmers applied a limited N fertilizer rate for tef production. Hence, a study was to investigate the effects of four nitrogen fertilizer rates (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg N/ha−1), on the grain yield of tef. The study was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications in East Badewacho district at the farmers training center in the 2019 cropping season. All the relevant data were collected and then subjected to SAS software 9.4 and mean differences were compared using LSD at 5%. The effects of the N rate showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) for all parameters of tef studied. Application of N rate at 90 kg ha−1 was significantly (P ≤ 0.01) improved yield and yield components of tef. Furthermore, N rates increased the magnitudes of all the important yield attributes. Hence, it is tentatively thinkable to conclude that a further supply of N fertilizer rate advances yields components of crops. Thus, the application of 90 kg N ha−1 gave the highest yield which can be suggested for the East Badewacho areas.