Blended Fertilizers as Sources of Balanced Nutrients for Growth and Yield of Wheat at Hulla District in Southern Ethiopia

Although a number of blended fertilizers, which contain multi-nutrients, were formulated to be used in different areas of the country, they were not evaluated for their effectiveness in different soils and agro-ecologies. This study was conducted in Hulla district to evaluate two types of blended fertilizers for their effectiveness in boosting wheat yield in the area. The experiment consists of nine treatments including recommended NP (69 kg N + 40 kg P/ha), 200 kg BF1/ha, 200 kg BF2/ha, 200 kg BF1/ha + N adjusted to the recommended rate, 200 kg BF1/ha + P adjusted to the recommended rate, 200 kg BF1/ha + NP adjusted to the recommended rate, 200 kg BF2/ha + N adjusted to the recommended rate, 200 kg BF2/ha + P adjusted to the recommended rate and 200 kg BF2/ha + NP adjusted to the recommended rate. The experiment was laid out in RCB design replicated across five farmers. Wheat (variety Ogolcho), was drilled in rows spaced 20 cm apart. Data including plant height, spike length, total biomass and grain yields (kg ha-1) were collected and analyzed using the SAS statistical package program version 9.0 and means were separated with LSD. Economic analysis was performed to investigate the economic feasibility of the new blended fertilizers for wheat production. Results of data analyses showed that application of BFs alone or with recommended amounts of N and P produced higher results in all parameters as compared to the recommended N and P alone indicating the need for balanced nutrients for wheat production at Hulla. Application of balanced nutrients from blended fertilizers (BF1) by adjusting N and P to the recommended amounts could significantly improve wheat production at Hulla compared to the recommended N and P alone. However, the use of these fertilizers was not economical and as a result 200 kg BF-2 is recommended for wheat production at Hulla. Keywords: blended fertilizers, recommended NP, balanced nutrients, wheat production, nutrient conten