Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the 2006 cropping season in Ofla district in southern Tigray to assess the response of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rates. Factorial combinations of two wheat varieties (HAR1685 and Shehan), four N rates (0, 23, 46 and 69 kg N/ha), and four P rates (0, 10, 20 and 30 kg P/ha) were laid out in split plot design (varieties in the main plot and N-P fertilizer rates to the sub plots) with three replications. The variety HAR1685 exhibited significantly higher values for  grain yield, harvest index, total N uptake, grain P uptake, N apparent recovery, and agronomic efficiency but had shorter plant height and maturity period. Shehan on the other hand, exhibited higher values for tiller number per plant, plant height, shoot dry weight at 50% flowering and at physiological maturity, biomass yield, straw yield. Application of N and P fertilizers significantly (P<0.01) influenced plant height, shoot dry weight at physiological maturity, and tiller number per plant. The variety-P-N interactions were highly significant for grain yield, biomass yield, harvest index, and straw yield. The increase and decrease in shoot dry weight at 50% flowering, grain yield, biomass yield harvest index, straw yield and available soil phosphorus at harvesting did not show a consistent trend. However, an increasing trend was observed when the rate of N increased from 0 to 69 kg N/ha. Non-significance difference due to the interaction of P and N with respect to plant height, number of tillers per plant, initial plant stand, 1000 kernels weight ,days to 50% flowering and total soil nitrogen at harvest was observed. The grain and straw N and P contents and uptakes, increased with N and P levels but the apparent recovery and agronomic efficiency of N and P fertilizers decreased with increasing N and P rates in both varieties. Grain and biomass yields were significantly and positively correlated with most of the agronomic parameters, grain N and P contents, grain N and P uptakes, and total N and P uptakes. Moreover, grain and straw N and P contents and their uptakes were strongly and positively correlated with applied N and P respectively.  Even though it is one year in one location study, it can be concluded that the released variety HAR1685 had high grain yield potential, strong stems, medium plant height, heavier kernel weight, higher harvest index, and shorter maturing period and responsive  to higher N and P rates. The shortcoming of the experiment was it was conducted in a single location. It should be repeated in more than one location.

Key words: Bread wheat, nitrogen, phosphorous, soil, physical, chemical.