Response of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Sulfur Fertilizer Rate Under Balanced Fertilization at Basona Warena District of North Shewa Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Background: Sulphur is becoming an important limiting nutrient to agricultural production in Ethiopian soil. Bread wheat is one of the most important cereal crops produced and consumed in Ethiopia. Declining soil fertility is one of the major factors that accounts for low productivity of wheat in Ethiopia which is caused by soil erosion, continuous cropping of same land year after, deforestation, depletion of organic matter is the main challenge not only to wheat productionMethods: The field experiment was conducted for consecutive three years (2013/14-2015/16) to evaluate effects of S levels on yield and yield components of bread wheat grown on two soil types (Cambisols and Vertisols), North Central of Ethiopia. An experiment consisting of six levels S (0, 10, 20,30,40 and 50 kg ha-1) laid out in RCB design with three replications. Results: Results revealed that, yield components were not affected by different levels of S while, yield of wheat were significantly affected by S in both soil types. S applied on cambisols at 30 and 40 kg ha-1 increased grain yield (GY) of wheat by 9.0 and 10.1 % over control respectively. The corresponding increases on Vertisols were 8.0 and 10.0 % over control respectively. Application of 10 and 30 kg S ha-1 produced the highest MMR (4913.31 and 1277.24%) respectively.Conclusions: The current finding presents additional evidence to research claims that S is becoming a limiting nutrient in some Ethiopian soils. Application of 10 and 30 kg S ha-1 are found to be the most economically feasible treatments for bread wheat production in Cambisols and Vertisols of the district respectively.