Split Application of Lime on Acid Soil Amelioration and Bread Wheat Yield at Dember, SNNPR Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil acidity is one of the most important yield-limiting factors for crop production in highlands areas where areas receive heavy rainfall. Liming of acidic soils has been suggested as a good measure to boost crop productivity in acidic soils. However, lime is not free or easy to obtain, require a large quantity, and its transportation is also difficult. Thus, a field trial was carried out in permanent plots to investigate the influence of split application of recommended lime dose based on exchangeable acidity (Al³⁺ and H⁺) on acid soil amelioration and wheat yield during three main cropping seasons. The trial consisted of a control, 92 N 69 P kg.ha^-1, four levels of lime (the full dose of the recommended lime was applied at once, split into two applied 50% in years 1 and 2, 50% in years 1 and 3, applied in three splits (each 33% annually) and the recommended 92N 69P kg.ha^-1 were applied to all lime treatments, and conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Over the years revealed that mean grain yield was not statistically significant (P<0.05) with split application of lime compared to single application at full rate. The highest yield (5755 kg.ha^-1) was recorded in the full-dose limed plant, while the lowest yield (2405 kg.ha^-1) was recorded in the no-liming treatment. The result showed that the highest yield in all plots treated with lime application was recorded over the un-limed plots. Likewise, split application of lime also increased pH and reduced exchangeable soil acidity in the same way. Accordingly, resource-poor farmers who cannot cover the cost of the full dose of lime can split in two or three and apply each year without significant yield loss compared to full dose.