Calibration of phosphorus fertilizer for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) on cambisols of Endamekhoni, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Calibration of soil test P is a stage in determining P fertilizer rates to meet plant P requirement and soil nutrient availability. The objective of this study was to determine the critical phosphorous (Pc) and phosphorous requirement factor (Pf) for food barley production. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications. Barley response to different levels of Phosphorus was conducted on Cambisols of Enda mekoni at 10 sites in the Northern Ethiopia during the 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons. The treatments, comprising five levels of P fertilizer (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 kg P ha⁻¹), were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The critical concentration and requirement factor of Phosphorus on barley in the study area were 10.5 mg kg⁻¹ and 16.27 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Hence, it could be concluded that the highest grain yield, P requirement factor and P critical obtained could serve in areas where the rainfall distribution and soil type are similar with study district where this experiment was conducted. Further studies should be done on phosphorous use efficiency and other related plant nutrition parameters.

Keywords:

• Calibration
• critical P
• requirement factor
• soil test
• Barley

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Fertilizer use trend of the country had been focused mainly on the use and application of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers in the form of di-ammonium phosphate (18-46-0) and urea (46-0-0) for almost all cultivated crops and were applied as a blanket recommendation. However, for many years no studies have been conducted on site-specific fertilizer recommendation rate. The phosphorus fertilizer depends on the critical P concentration level and P requirement factor. The phosphorus critical concentration was found 10.5 mg kg⁻¹ and phosphorus requirement factor is 16.27 mg kg⁻¹. The soil testing centers/laboratory may use these recommendations for advisory services to end-users.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Sofonyas Dargie

Sofonyas Dargie is Soil Science researcher in Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Mekelle Soil Research Center. Dargie graduated from Haramaya University in Soil Science in 2016. His research interests include Soil chemistry, Soil nutrient management, management of problematic soils, and environmental science.

Gidena Tasew and Birhane Hailu are soil researchers working in Mekelle Soil Research Center and Mekoni Agricultural Research Center, respectively. Kidane Welde is irrigation researcher in Alamata Agricultural Research Center and Gebru Eyasu is agroforestry and soil management researcher in Mekelle Agricultural Research Center.