Growth, nodulation and yield responses of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Varieties to different rates of npsb blended fertilizer and inoculants in meskan district, centeral ethiopia

Abstract

Lack of improved varieties and adequate information on the use of Rhizobium strain and NPSB blended fertilizer is the major yield limiting factors of chickpea production on vertisols in the Meskan area. Hence, a field experiment was carried out during the main cropping season of 2017/18 in Meskan District, to evaluate the growth, nodulation, yield and yield component of two improved chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties to different rates of NPSB blended fertilizer and Rhizobium inoculant and thereby to determine the optimum fertilizer rate. Factors studied were two levels of Rhizobium inoculation (with and without) for high yield of varieties, two chickpea varieties (Arerti and Habru) and four levels of blended NPSB fertilizer (0, 30, 60, 90 kg ha-1). The experiment was conducted in a 2×2×4 factorial combination in randomized complete block design with three replications. Data on growth, nodulation, yield and yield components were recorded and subjected to analysis of Variance (ANOVA). ANOVA showed that crop phenology (days to 50% flowering and days to physiological maturity), the growth (plant height, leaf area, number of primary branches, shoot dry weight, root dry weight), nodulation (number of nodules, nodule dry weight, number of effective nodules) and yield and yield components (number of pods, number of seeds, hundred seed weight, harvest index, grain yield and agronomic efficiency) were significantly affected by the different factor combinations. The highest mean value of seed yield (3814kg ha-1) was obtained from combined application of rhizobium inoculation and 60 kg NPSB ha-1 from variety Habru which resulted in 77.11% increase over the control (873.33kg ha-1).The partial budget analysis revealed that the maximum (ETB 66740.19 ha-1) net benefit were obtained from combined application of rhizobium inoculation and 60 kg NPSB ha-1from variety Habru with MRR of 5754.64% and minimum (ETB 12886ha-1) net benefit were obtained from the control, respectively. The result showed a net benefit advantage of 80.6% (ETB 53854 ha-1) when compared the maximum and minimum net benefit. Hence, Rhizobium inoculation with application of 60 kg NPSB ha-1 could be tentatively recommended for chickpea production in Meskan area. However, the experiment should be repeated over years and locations to give a valid recommendation.