Response of Different Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum Var. Durum) Varieties to Added Nitrogen Fertilizer

Abstract

Twelve durum wheat genotypes were evaluated for their grain yield and related traits using two rates of nitrogen fertilizer application (69 kg N ha−1 and 115 kg N ha−1) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment was done on Vertisol at Adet Agricultural Research Center in the main cropping season 2009. All agronomic traits respond positively to applied nitrogen rates. The highest grain yield (33.8 Qt∙ha−1) was reported from Asassa variety. Grain yield increased by 8.8 Qt∙ha−1 with the increase of nitrogen rates by 46 kg N ha−1. Studied traits, except days to heading, grain filling period and biomass production efficiency, others did not respond to the genotype by nitrogen interaction effect. Grain yield was positively correlated with plant height (r = 0.53), total plant biomass (r = 0.81).