Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Levels on Yield Components and Grain Yield of Malt Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Varieties at Kulumsa, Central Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract

Determination of optimum rates of nitrogen and appropriate varieties are important agronomic decisions for malt barley production. Thus, a field experiment was conducted at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center during 2011 main season with the objectives of determining the effect of different nitrogen fertilizer levels on yield components and grain yield of widely grown malt barley varieties. Factorial combinations of four released malt barley varieties namely, ‘Beka’, ‘Holker’, ‘Miscal-21’ and ‘EH1293’ and five levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg N/ha) in the form of urea (46% N) were used. The experiment was arranged in RCBD with three replications. The result showed that the main effect of variety had highly significant (P<0.01) effect on days to 50% heading, days to 90% physiological maturity, plant height, spike length, number of effective tillers per plant and number of plant per m². Varieties ‘Miscal-21’ and ‘EH1293’ headed early, but matured late, the inverse was true for varieties ‘Holker’ and ‘Beka’. Days to 90% maturity and number of effective tillers per plant increased significantly with increased levels of nitrogen fertilizer. The highest plant height (102.36 cm), number of kernel per spike (25.76) and spike length (19.34 cm) were obtained from application of 50 kg N ha^-1. The interaction effect of varieties and nitrogen rates were highly significant (P<0.01) on biological yield and grain yield. The highest biological yield (13000.00 kg ha^-1), and grain yield (3690.66 kg ha^-1) were obtained from variety ‘Miscal-21’at application of 30 kg N ha^-1. Among the four varieties evaluated, ‘Miscal-21’ at 30 kg N ha^-1 had higher grain yield in the present study; followed by variety ‘Beka’ at 50 kg N ha^-1. For that reason, varieties ‘Miscal-21’ and ‘Beka’ at 30 and 50 kg N ha^-1, respectively, can be considered as potential recommendation for the area.

Keywords: Malt barley varieties, nitrogen fertilizer, grain yield

Cite this Article

Demisie Ejigu, Tamado Tana, Firdissa Eticha. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer levels on yield components and grain yield of malt barley (hordeum vulgare l.) Varieties at Kulumsa, Central Ethiopia. Research & Reviews: Journal of Crop Science and Technology. 2015; 4(3): 11–21p.