Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia
Nutrient depletion and imbalance are among the major attributes that contribute to declining soil productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia. The blanket fertilizer recommendation, which considered only urea and Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), was used over the past four decades to improve soil fertilit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Federation of Eurasian Soil Science Societies
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Eurasian Journal of Soil Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.663486 |
| _version_ | 1827849457490722816 |
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| author | Mulugeta Demiss Tekalign Mamo Sheleme Beyene Selamyihun Kidanu |
| author_facet | Mulugeta Demiss Tekalign Mamo Sheleme Beyene Selamyihun Kidanu |
| author_sort | Mulugeta Demiss |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nutrient depletion and imbalance are among the major attributes that contribute to declining soil productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia. The blanket fertilizer recommendation, which considered only urea and Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), was used over the past four decades to improve soil fertility for enhancing crop production. Nevertheless, the average national yields of small cereal including teff were low, despite application of nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) fertilizers. On-farm trials were conducted in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 cropping seasons at 18 locations on Ethiopian highland Vertisols to determine the response of teff to potassium (K) fertilization along with other limiting nutrients. Five K levels (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha-1) in the form of murate of potash (KCl) were used in randomized complete block design with three replications. Separate analysis of variance was conducted for each sites and year. Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at P ≤ 0.05 was used to separate means whenever there were significant differences. Analysis of variance revealed a highly significant difference (P < 0.01) between treatments in both straw and grain yields and tissue nitrogen (N) and K concentrations of teff over the two-cropping seasons in 67% of the test locations. Additionally, responses to K were obtained on soils with available K test ranging between 166 and 282 mg kg-1. The Ca: K and Mg: K ratios were strongly and negatively correlated with relative yield and the correlations suggest that soil with Ca: K > 50:1 and Mg: K >15:1 are likely to respond to potassium fertilization. The yield advantage accrued due to K application ranged from 30 to 77% in 2015/16 and 8 to 51% in 2016/17 seasons. The economic optimum K fertilizer application rates varied between 60 kg K ha-1 in 44% of the sites to 90 kg K ha-1 in 23% of the sites. The findings highlighted the need for revisiting fertilizer program to enhance the yield and nutrient uptake of teff in K responsive soils and developing critical levels for K in the study sites. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:04:21Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2147-4249 2147-4249 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:04:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | Federation of Eurasian Soil Science Societies |
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| series | Eurasian Journal of Soil Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-620228c5c2ee49d2a0e7b81eb899368d2023-09-02T11:21:38ZengFederation of Eurasian Soil Science SocietiesEurasian Journal of Soil Science2147-42492147-42492020-04-019210511810.18393/ejss.663486Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of EthiopiaMulugeta Demiss0Tekalign Mamo1Sheleme Beyene2Selamyihun Kidanu3Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), Addis Ababa, EthiopiaAgricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), Addis Ababa, EthiopiaHawassa University, College of Agriculture, Pox 05. Hawassa EthiopiaOCP Societe Anonyme, Commercial Representative Office. Addis Ababa, EthiopiaNutrient depletion and imbalance are among the major attributes that contribute to declining soil productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia. The blanket fertilizer recommendation, which considered only urea and Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), was used over the past four decades to improve soil fertility for enhancing crop production. Nevertheless, the average national yields of small cereal including teff were low, despite application of nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) fertilizers. On-farm trials were conducted in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 cropping seasons at 18 locations on Ethiopian highland Vertisols to determine the response of teff to potassium (K) fertilization along with other limiting nutrients. Five K levels (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha-1) in the form of murate of potash (KCl) were used in randomized complete block design with three replications. Separate analysis of variance was conducted for each sites and year. Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at P ≤ 0.05 was used to separate means whenever there were significant differences. Analysis of variance revealed a highly significant difference (P < 0.01) between treatments in both straw and grain yields and tissue nitrogen (N) and K concentrations of teff over the two-cropping seasons in 67% of the test locations. Additionally, responses to K were obtained on soils with available K test ranging between 166 and 282 mg kg-1. The Ca: K and Mg: K ratios were strongly and negatively correlated with relative yield and the correlations suggest that soil with Ca: K > 50:1 and Mg: K >15:1 are likely to respond to potassium fertilization. The yield advantage accrued due to K application ranged from 30 to 77% in 2015/16 and 8 to 51% in 2016/17 seasons. The economic optimum K fertilizer application rates varied between 60 kg K ha-1 in 44% of the sites to 90 kg K ha-1 in 23% of the sites. The findings highlighted the need for revisiting fertilizer program to enhance the yield and nutrient uptake of teff in K responsive soils and developing critical levels for K in the study sites.http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.663486critical levelmurate of potashgrain yieldbalanced nutritioncrop response. |
| spellingShingle | Mulugeta Demiss Tekalign Mamo Sheleme Beyene Selamyihun Kidanu Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia Eurasian Journal of Soil Science critical level murate of potash grain yield balanced nutrition crop response. |
| title | Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia |
| title_full | Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia |
| title_short | Effect of potassium levels on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) growth and yield in Central Highland Vertisols of Ethiopia |
| title_sort | effect of potassium levels on teff eragrostis tef zucc trotter growth and yield in central highland vertisols of ethiopia |
| topic | critical level murate of potash grain yield balanced nutrition crop response. |
| url | http://ejss.fesss.org/10.18393/ejss.663486 |
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