Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes

Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the major cereal crop used as staple crop in the arid and semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Low sorghum yields are attributed to soil, climate and topographic factors. We investigated sorghum yield response to factorial combination of nitrogen and phosphor...

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Main Authors: Desta, G., Amede, Tilahun, Gashaw, T., Legesse, G., Agegnehu, G., Mekonnen, Kindu, Whitbread, Anthony M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Cambridge University Press 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/118461
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author Desta, G.
Amede, Tilahun
Gashaw, T.
Legesse, G.
Agegnehu, G.
Mekonnen, Kindu
Whitbread, Anthony M.
author_browse Agegnehu, G.
Amede, Tilahun
Desta, G.
Gashaw, T.
Legesse, G.
Mekonnen, Kindu
Whitbread, Anthony M.
author_facet Desta, G.
Amede, Tilahun
Gashaw, T.
Legesse, G.
Agegnehu, G.
Mekonnen, Kindu
Whitbread, Anthony M.
author_sort Desta, G.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the major cereal crop used as staple crop in the arid and semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Low sorghum yields are attributed to soil, climate and topographic factors. We investigated sorghum yield response to factorial combination of nitrogen and phosphorous (NP) as well as potassium (K), sulphur (S) and zinc (Zn), and how the position of farmers’ fields belonging to different landscape positions (i.e., upslope, mid-slope, and foot slope) could explain fertilizer response and yield variability. The analysis in this study made use of dataset from two sets of on-farm experiments where trials were set at two farmers’ fields for NPKS and three farmers’ fields for NPZn experiments in each landscape position. The experiments were implemented at two sorghum-growing locations (i.e., Hayk and Sirinka) in parts of the north-eastern Amhara region in Ethiopia. Sorghum yield response to fertilizer application was strongly linked to the spatial variation along landscape positions and varied over locations. Fertilizer response was significantly higher at foot slopes compared to mid-slopes and upslope positions, where fields at foot slopes exhibited relatively homogeneous responses. Application of combined nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers, landscape position and the interaction of fertilizer application and landscape positions strongly affected sorghum yield. There was a linear and significant increase in sorghum yield with the increase in the NP rates. The combined application of NP with different levels of KS as well as NP with Zn fertilizer rates did not result in significant yield difference. The results indicated that local factors were much more influential when accounting for the heterogeneity in sorghum yield response to fertilizer. This further acknowledges the importance of a landscape-based fertilizer management approach to respond yield potential variability related with the farmers’ fields and landscape environment. Further investigation is needed to develop homogeneous fertilizer response units based on spatial variability of soil and topographic attributes along the landscape.
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spelling CGSpace1184612024-06-20T09:24:49Z Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes Desta, G. Amede, Tilahun Gashaw, T. Legesse, G. Agegnehu, G. Mekonnen, Kindu Whitbread, Anthony M. sorghum yields intensification farming systems Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the major cereal crop used as staple crop in the arid and semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Low sorghum yields are attributed to soil, climate and topographic factors. We investigated sorghum yield response to factorial combination of nitrogen and phosphorous (NP) as well as potassium (K), sulphur (S) and zinc (Zn), and how the position of farmers’ fields belonging to different landscape positions (i.e., upslope, mid-slope, and foot slope) could explain fertilizer response and yield variability. The analysis in this study made use of dataset from two sets of on-farm experiments where trials were set at two farmers’ fields for NPKS and three farmers’ fields for NPZn experiments in each landscape position. The experiments were implemented at two sorghum-growing locations (i.e., Hayk and Sirinka) in parts of the north-eastern Amhara region in Ethiopia. Sorghum yield response to fertilizer application was strongly linked to the spatial variation along landscape positions and varied over locations. Fertilizer response was significantly higher at foot slopes compared to mid-slopes and upslope positions, where fields at foot slopes exhibited relatively homogeneous responses. Application of combined nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers, landscape position and the interaction of fertilizer application and landscape positions strongly affected sorghum yield. There was a linear and significant increase in sorghum yield with the increase in the NP rates. The combined application of NP with different levels of KS as well as NP with Zn fertilizer rates did not result in significant yield difference. The results indicated that local factors were much more influential when accounting for the heterogeneity in sorghum yield response to fertilizer. This further acknowledges the importance of a landscape-based fertilizer management approach to respond yield potential variability related with the farmers’ fields and landscape environment. Further investigation is needed to develop homogeneous fertilizer response units based on spatial variability of soil and topographic attributes along the landscape. 2022 2022-03-27T16:01:08Z 2022-03-27T16:01:08Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/118461 en Open Access Cambridge University Press Desta, G., Amede, T., Gashaw, T., Legesse, G., Agegnehu, G., Mekonnen, K. and Whitbread, A., Bitew, B., Fininsa, C. and Terefe, H. 2022. Estimating yield loss of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) caused by gall disease in north Shoa, Ethiopia. Experimental Agriculture
spellingShingle sorghum
yields
intensification
farming systems
Desta, G.
Amede, Tilahun
Gashaw, T.
Legesse, G.
Agegnehu, G.
Mekonnen, Kindu
Whitbread, Anthony M.
Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes
title Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes
title_full Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes
title_fullStr Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes
title_full_unstemmed Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes
title_short Sorghum yield response to NPKS and NPZn nutrients along sorghum-growing landscapes
title_sort sorghum yield response to npks and npzn nutrients along sorghum growing landscapes
topic sorghum
yields
intensification
farming systems
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/118461
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