Yield Response of Bread Wheat to Timing of Urea Fertilizer Application in Eastern Amhara Region

Abstract

Bread wheat is one of the most staple food crops in the world and is one of the most important cereals cultivated in Ethiopia. Timing of urea fertilizer experiment was conducted in major bread wheat growing areas of Eastern Amhara: Kone and Geregera for one year (2013). The principal objective of the experiment was to identify the response of timing of urea fertilizer application on grain yield of bread wheat in Eastern Amhara Region. The experiment was designed in randomized complete block consisting of four urea fertilizer (111 kg/ha) application times: (1) 100% at tillering, (2) 50% at planting and 50% at tillering, (3) 1/3 at planting, 1/3 at tillering and 1/3 before heading and (4) 50% at tillering and 50% before heading replicated three times were used in the study. Basal applications of 100 kg DAP/ha fertilizer was made at sowing for each plot. The result revealed that the highest grain yield (3992 kg/ha) at Kone  and (2685 kg/ha) at Geregera was obtained with the application time of urea fertilizer 50% at planting and 50% at tillering stage of bread wheat. Mean combined over locations of the highest grain yield (3248 kg/ha) of bread wheat was recorded with timing of urea fertilizer application of 50% at planting and 50% at tillering stage of bread wheat. The highest grain yield was obtained with the application of 50% at planting and 50% at tillering stages of bread wheat is the best economical recommended timing of urea fertilizer levels for bread wheat production in all locations.

Key words: application time, stages of bread wheat, urea fertilizer