Growth and Yield Response of Food Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Varieties to Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates Inkofele District, Southeastern Oromia

Abstract

Despite the importance of barely, there are several factors affecting its production. Among these inadequate uses of N fertilizer and lack of using improved food barley variety are the most important ones. A field experiment was conducted under rainy season conditions to investigate the effects of food barley varieties and rates of nitrogen fertilizer application in the combinations of three food barley varieties, namely Adoshe, Robera and Abdene and four levels of N (23 Kg N/ha , 46 Kg N/ha , 69 Kg N/ha  and 92 Kg N/ha) arranged in randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications on vegetative growth, yield and yield components of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) at Kofele, Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. Results indicated that different nitrogen fertilizer rate had a very highly significant (p 0.05). Moreover, barley phonological, growth, yield and yield components were highly significantly (p 0.05). the maximum and minimum mean values of grain yield production of barley were observed from Adoshe barley variety treated with 92 Kg ha-1 nitrogen fertilizer rate (6.01 tone /ha) and Robera barley variety treated with 23 Kg ha-1 nitrogen fertilizer rate (3.29 tone/ha), respectively. The partial budget analysis revealed that, maximum net benefit of Birr 99350.00 ha-1 with an acceptable marginal rate of returns (MRR) of 3348.23% with the treatment Adoshe variety with combination of 92 Kg N ha-1. However, the lowest net benefit of (Birr 55225.00 ha-1) was recorded from Robera barley variety treated with 23 Kg ha-1 nitrogen fertilizer rate. Therefore, Production of Adoshe variety with combination of 92 Kg N ha-1 was economical, and uncertainly recommended for production of food barley in the study area and other areas with similar agro-ecological condition.