EFFECTS OF SEED AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER RATES ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF TEF [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.)Trotter] IN HIDEBU ABOTE DISTRICT, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

A field experiment was conducted during the 2016 cropping season on Weilu Mojo FTC in Hidebu Abote District, central Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to determine the effects of N and seeding rates on yield and yield components of tef, to identify the most appropriate seeding and N rates and to determine the economic benefits of each treatment. A 4 x 4 factorial combinations of nitrogen (42, 65, 88 and 111 kg ha-1) and seeding rates (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 25, (farmers’ practice seeding rate) kg ha-1) were used as treatments. The experiment was set up in a RCBD with three replications. Urea and blended NPS were used as fertilizer sources and Kora variety of tef was used as test crop. The result of the analysis of variance showed that the main effects of nitrogen and seeding rates significantly influenced phenological parameter and most of the yield and yield components of tef. However, the interaction effects of nitrogen and seeding rates significantly (p≤0.05) affected number of productive tillers. Days to heading, Culm length, plant height, panicle length, number of total and productive tillers, panicle weight, yield per panicle, thousand seed weight, harvest index and grain yield were highly significantly (p≤0.1) affected by the main effects of seeding and nitrogen rates whereas, grain filling period and days to maturity were highly significantly xvi (p≤0.1) affected by seed rates whereas straw yield was highly significantly(p≤0.1) affected by nitrogen rates while, number of non productive tillers was not significantly affected (p>0.1) by the main effect of seeding and nitrogen rates. The use of 5 kg ha–1 of seeding rate resulted in highest grain yield (1830 kg ha–1). From this experiment, the use of 5 and 65 kg ha-1 of seeding and N rates were identified for good grain and straw yields, respectively. Partial budget analysis of seeding and nitrogen rates indicted that higher marginal rate of return (405%) and (1103%) were found for use of 5 and 65 kg of seeding and nitrogen ha-1 respectively. It can be concluded that farmers can, use 5 and 65 kg ha-1 of seeding and nitrogen rates so as to get economically feasible returns and yields on luvisols of Weilu Mojo kebele of Hidebu Abote District of Central Ethiopia.