Effect of integrated inorganic and organic fertilizers on yield and yield components of barley in Liben Jawi District

Abstract

Barley is an important food and beverage crop in the highlands of Ethiopia, although intensive cultivation and suboptimal fertilizer application have caused nutrient depletion and yield decline. With this in view, integrated inorganic and organic fertilizer sources on yield and yield components of barley were studied. Ten treatments involving the sole NP, vermicompost, conventional compost, and farmyard manure based on N equivalency were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons. Significantly higher grain yield and biomass yield of barley were obtained with the application of sole recommended NP and the integrated use of 50: 50% vermicompost and conventional compost with recommended NP. Mean grain yield of 2567 and 2549 kg·ha-1 barley was obtained from application of 50:50% conventional compost and vermicompost based on N equivalence with recommended NP fertilizer rate, which markedly reduce the cost of chemical NP fertilizer required for the production of barley. The economic analysis confirmed the profitability of the integrated use of 50: 50% conventional compost and vermicompost with recommended NP fertilizer for barley production. Therefore, the integrated use of 50: 50% conventional compost and vermicompost based on N equivalency with recommended NP fertilizer was recommended for sustainable barley production in Chelia district and similar agroecology.