Response of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate on Yield and Yield Components of Malt Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Varieties at Arsi Zone, Ethiopia

Identifying optimum nitrogen fertilizer rate for barley production especially malt barley is an important agronomic parameter for increment of yield and yield components. Thus the experiment was conducted during 2018/19 cropping season with an objective of evaluating the response of nitrogen fertilizer rate on growth, yield and yield components of malt barley varieties at West Arsi, Ethiopia. A factorial combination of five nitrogen levels (11.5, 23, 34.5, 46 and 57.5 kg N ha -1 ) and three malt barley varieties (Holker, Ibon and Fanaka) was laid down in a split plot arrangement nitrogen as main plot and varieties as subplot with in three replication. Malt barley yield and yield components were considered as experimental variable. Thus the result reveal that grain yield of malt barley was highly significant effect by interaction of nitrogen and varieties. While, days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, number of productive tillers, straw yield and number of grain per spike were significantly affected by both factors. Higher (2.75 t ha -1 ) grain yield was recorded from the combination of Ibon variety with 57.5 kg N ha -1 . Therefore from this research study it can be conclude that, fertilization of 57.5 kg/ha N fertilizer rate for Ibon variety was found to be better in terms of both agronomic performance and economic feasibility for malt barley production in the study area and similar agro ecology.