FACULTY OF AGRICUTURAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF PLANT SCIENCES

EFFECT OF TIMING OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER APPLICATION

ON GROWTH AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF WHEAT (Triticum
aestivum L.)

A Senior Research Report Submitted to Department of Plant Sciences for

in partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of B.Sc. Degree in Plant Sciences

Prepared by:

1. AddisieMolla
2. AlemituKawiso
3. AtoteTamire
4. BezaworkZenebe
5. CherinetKebede
6. GetahunAdeme

Major Advisor: Abinet Bekele

Co-Advisor Mengistu Bululta

June 2017

BULE HORA, ETHIOPIA

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all we would like to say thanks to God for he gave us mind to analysis things. This
work comes in to end not only by the effort of the researchers (we), but also the support of
many individuals and advisors. To begin with, we would like to say thanks to our advisor
Abinet Bekele for his constructive advice, valuable comments, professional advice and
assistance during this research work. Had it been without his support, this work would not
have been come in to reality. Secondly, our heartfelt thanks goes to our family who helped us
to reach on today`s success just by fulfilling every life necessity and giving advice.In
addition, We also extend our sincere gratitude to our co/advisor Mengistu Bululta for his
support us in writing the whole document besides moral and valuable comments.

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 LIST OF ABBREVIATION

CV Coefficient of Variation

CSA Central Statistics Agency

DF Degree of Freedom

DAP Di-Ammonium phosphate

GLM General Linear Model

LSD least Significant Difference

N Nitrogen

NS Non significance

SAS Statistical Analysis software

SV Standard Variation

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents pages
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .........................................................................................................ii
LIST OF ABBREVIATION .................................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... v
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1
1.1. General Objectives ...................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Specific objective .................................................................................................... 1
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................... 2
2.1. Wheat crop .................................................................................................................. 2
2.2. Production potentials and constraints .......................................................................... 2
2.3. Nitrogen supply in wheat ......................................................................................... 3
2.4. Effect of Nitrogen on Wheat growth ........................................................................... 3
2.5. Nitrogen deficiency symptom in wheat ................................................................... 4
2.6. Time of nitrogen fertilizer application ........................................................................ 4
3. MATERIALS AND METHODS ....................................................................................... 5
3.1. Description of the Study Area ..................................................................................... 5
3.2. Treatment and Experimental Design ......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3. Data collection............................................................................................................. 7
3.4. Data Analysis .............................................................................................................. 7
4. RESULT AND DISCUSSION ......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Table 1. Effect of different time of application Nitrogen fertilizer application on growth
and yield components of Wheat ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
6. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 10
Appendix .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

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 ABSTRACT
Wheat is the most important grain crop in the world as well as in Ethiopia. Even though
Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in sub Saharan Africa, its productivity is low.
Nitrogen fertilizer is the most limiting factor for reduction in wheat yield in general and its
time of application is not known in the study area. Therefore, the study was proposed with the
objective to evaluate the effect of timing of N application on growth and yield component of
wheat. To achieve this objective four different times N application was tested by using RCBD
with three replications. Analysis of variances showed that different time of nitrogen fertilizer
application had significant effect on day of flowering while date of emergence, tiller number
and plant height were not significantly affected by the time of N application. To put
recommendation the 3rd time of N application was positive on date of flowing.

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 1. INTRODUCTION
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is belonging to the family poacea, tribe triticeae and genus
triticum (Shewm, 2009). Wheat is one of the most important food grain crop grown in the
world. It ranks first in the world which accounts for 30% of all cereal food worldwide where
Ethiopia is one of the largest producers of wheat in sub Saharan Africa. It is also a staple food
for over 10 billon people in many countries of the world and provides about 20% of the total
food categories for the human race. In Ethiopia, wheat is mostly grown in the high lands area
where such agro climatic condition is suitable for wheat production.

Even though Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in sub Saharan Africa, next to South
Africa, its productivity is low and not more than 1.3 t ha-1.This is due to constraints posed by
both biotic and a biotic factors such as poor agronomic practice and soil management,
inadequate level of technology generation and dissemination. Moreover; depleted soil
fertility, low level of chemical fertilizer usage, limited knowledge on time and rate of
application and unavailability of other modern crop management in puts are the most
significant constraints to this production. Of these constraints, improving soil fertility is
considered to be a primary means of increasing wheat grain yield in Ethiopia. Accordingly,
chemical fertilizers particularly Nitrogen application should be given due attention as they
affects wheat yield and quality.

In this regard, appropriate time and rate of N fertilizer application have a number of
advantages as a method of fertilizer placement in general varies from year to year due to
environmental condition and as a time of N application is affect the relative efficiency of N
fertilizer. However, there is knowledge gap in Ethiopian farmers in the time of N application.
Therefore, solving such problem of knowledge gap and creating awareness on time of N
application in study area, can improve productivity of the wheat. Therefore, the study was
proposed with the following objectives:-
1.1. General Objectives
 To evaluate the effect of different time of nitrogen fertilizer application on growth and
yield components of wheat
1.2. Specific objective
 To identify the appropriate or critical time to apply nitrogen fertilizer on wheat

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2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Wheat crop
The genius name for wheat is tritacum comes from Latin word tero (I thresh).the current
binomial name tritacum aestivum refers to hexaploid wheat (genomes A.B and D)
distinguishing tetra-ploid macaroon wheat which is (tritacum) (genomes A.B and D) which is
used primary for pasta production (D vorak et al., 1998).

Plants of the genius tritacum are annuals with spring and winter forms. They show the
following morphological features; short leguk and spikelets that are sometimes hairy and
smooth, baldy usually hollow column 0.7-1.6m in height. Grains are loosely in closed (naked
wheat) and easily threshed. The rachilla has thin walls and does not dis articulation maturity
(Garcke 1972 and Geisser 1991).

Wheat is a cereal of temperate climate, the minimum temperature for germination of seed is
between 3 and 4 degree Celsius and flowering begins above 14 degree Celsius (Korber-
gronne, 1998).

In Ethiopia it is largely grown in high lands of country and plays an appreciable role in
supplying the population with the carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals (Schulthess et al.,
1970). The crop is grown in an altitude ranging from 1500 - 3000 meters above sea level (m
asl) (Bekele et al., 2000). The major producing areas in Ethiopia are located in Arsi, Bale,
Shewa, Illubabor, Western Hararge, Sidamo, Tigrai, Northern Gonder, and Gojam zones
(Bekele et al., 2000).

2.2. Production potentials and constraints

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops globally is staple food for about one third of
the world population (Hussain and Sshan, 2002). In Ethiopia it is grown annually on 1.68
million hector with total production of 1.38 t ha-1. The major wheat producing areas in
Ethiopia are located in Arsi, Bale, Shewa, Illubabor, Western Hararge, and Gojam zones
(Bekele et al., 2000). The total wheat area and production in Amara region was 405520
hectare (27.00% of the country coverage and 12128.60 tones, respectively with the
productivity of (1.75 t ha-1 (CSA, 2007).

2
The full potential yield of wheat can be obtained only when the N supply is optimum
throughout the growing period of the crop. Nitrogen deficiency as time germination may
delay of germination (Thorne, 1965). The combination of higher available nutrient with the
favorable moisture feverous excessive growth and Couse apre-mature exhaustion of available
moisture, it also increases weekly developed tillers.
2.3. Nitrogen supply in wheat
There are number of sources from which wheat can be obtaining Nitrogen. The first is
available Nitrogen stored in the soil at planting, Nitrogen released from soil organic matter
break down, during the growing season, Nitrogen mass will be released from the breakdown
of plant residue following legume crop, addition of inorganic commercial fertilizer or animal
manure and up to 20kg hector 918lb/ac of nitrogen during the growing season can be added
from rainfall primarily from lighting storms. Soil organic matter is the major reservoir of
Nitrogen and mainly other essential plant nutrients. The early farming system commonly
used across the prairie provinces involved summer following and frequent tillage operation
available nitrogen in the soil vary from field and from year to year. The release of nitrogen
from soil organic matter is controlled by soil microorganism during the decomposition of
organic matter, soil microorganism, convert organic nitrogen to ammonium (NH4) and (NH3)
nitrate from of nitrogen which plant utilize.

2.4. Effect of Nitrogen on Wheat growth

Nitrogen is often the most deficient of the entire plant nutrient. Wheat is very sensitive to
insufficient nitrogen and very responsive to nitrogen fertilization. The most important role of
nitrogen in the plant is its presence in the structure of protein, the most important building
substance from which the living materials or protoplasm of every cell is made. In addition,
nitrogen is also found I chlorophyll, the green covering matter of leaf... Chlorophyll enables
the plant to transfer energy from sunlight to photosynthesis. Plant grown with an adequate
supply of nitrogen make rapid and thrifty growth and are dark green in color. Leaf and steam
development is stimulated insufficient N result in lighter green color, reduce tillering and
disturbance of normal cell growth with an adequate supply of nitrogen make Division, and
decrease in rate and extent of protein synthesis. Plant contains more Nitrogen than any other
essential element derived from the soil.

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 2.5. Nitrogen deficiency symptom in wheat
The most easily observed symptom of nitrogen deficiency in wheat is the yellowish
(chlorosis) of leaf due a drop in chlorophyll content. This symptom is usually noticed first in
the more mature leafs and last in upper actively grown leaf, because the Nitrogen is
translocated from older to new leaf to sustain growth. Those the older leafs will wither and
result in poor plant growth and yield reduction. Generally growth of wheat is slowed, stunted
and firing of the leaf tips and margins is evident.

2.6. Time of nitrogen fertilizer application

The relative efficiency of N fertilizer is affected by time of application according to
environmental condition. Generally nitrogen applied in spring as seeding is usually is more
effective for increasing wheat yields and protein content then adding N in the fall. However,
there are exceptions. In dry areas, where seeds beds quantify and moisture conservation are
major concern, spring application has the disadvantage of deeply working the soil and
resulting in a loose of soil moisture. The dry area such as the brown and dark brown soil
zones, there is little difference between full and spring application with anhydrous
ammonia.Spring and full broadcast and incorporated nitrogen fertilizer have similar N
deficiency under low rainfall condition of the brown and dark brown soils.

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3. MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1. Description of the Study Area
The experiment was conducted at Debre Markos University Burie Campus West Gojjam
zone of Amhara region. The area was located in the north western part of Ethiopia at a
distance of 110 km from Debre Markos, which is situated at 10o42' N latitude and 37o4' E
longitude. The altitude of this particular area was 2100 meters above sea level. The
annual rainfall and annual mean temperature are 1800 mm and 20oC respectively ,
although Burie were located at distance of 401 km North West of Addis Abeba and 185
km to Bahir Dar at about 10021’ latitude North and 37043’, longitude East. Its elevation
had estimated to been above 2450 m.a.s.l. The soil of the area was characteristically
humic nito and eutric vertisols, relatively fine in texture, which was slightly acidic with
pH of 5.8.
3.2 Planting Materials
The materials will be used to conduct the experiment are the following.

 Wheat seed
 Field equipments such as tape meter, peg, axe, rope, hoe, water can and
balance
 Fertilizer(DAP and Urea)

3.3. Experimental Procedures

3.3.1. Site selection and Land preparation

The experimental field will be selected and all unwanted materials like stones, straw, weeds
and any other unwanted substances will be removed. The land will be prepared manually by
digging at least two times. The level of the surface of the land will be softening with addition
of water and we will prepared raised seed beds. The total experiment area will be 10m X
5m=78.75m2 and the area per plot will be m x 2m=3m2. The distance between plots and
blocks will be 0.5m and 1m, respectively. The spacing between plants and rows will be 10cm
and 40cm, respectively.

3.3.2. Sowing

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The seed of wheat will be placed at the depth of 2cm and DAP fertilizer will be applied
during sowing date in all experimental plots . Then watering will be carried out two times of
a day i.e. early in the morning and in the afternoon, other cultural practice like weeding, will
be properly carried out.

3.3. Experimental Design and Treatments

Five timing of nitrogen fertilizer application (Urea) will be used as treatments.
T1 = Whole application of urea at sowing time (control)

T2 = Half at sowing and half at 15th day

T3 = Whole application of urea at 100kg at 21th days

T4 = Whole application of urea at 100 kg at 30th day

The treatments will be arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four
treatments and three replications( see figure 1). The experimental area is divided into small
homogenous blocks and each replication contains complete set of treatments which allocated
to plots within each blocks at random. Each plot has four rows.

2m 

1.5m T2  T3 T1 T4
0.5m
B1 
1m
T3 T2 T4 T1
B2

T1 T4 T3 T2
B3

Figure 1; layout of experimental design

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3.4 Data to be collected

Data on the following plant parameters will be collected in order to evaluate the effects of
timing of N fertilizer application on wheat growth and yield components.

 Plant height (cm)

 Days of 50% tasseling
 Leaf length(cm)
 Leaf area (cm)
3.4.1 Method of Data Collection
The growth parameter measurement will be carried out from 5randomly selected plants from
each plot. Plant height (cm), will be measured from the ground level to the top most growth
point above ground after the plants reached at maximum growth stage by using ruler, and leaf
length (cm)will be measured from the end of sheath to the tip of the leaf by using ruler

Five plants were selected randomly in each plot and labeled. These plants were measured
individually and the mean value was recorded for the plot. These include;

1. Number effective of tillers: was recorded by counting tillers from randomly taken plant in
each plot.

2. Day of 50% flowering: was recorded by counting the number of days from sowing date to
50% of the plants in the plot brought spikes.

3. Plant height: The height was measured with randomly taken from the ground to the tip of
spike of the plant.

4. Spike length: The length of the spike was measured for randomly taken plants in each plot.

3.5. Data Analysis

All collected data will be subjected to Analysis of variance (ANOVA) using general linear
model (GLM) procedure of SAS software version 9.2 software (SAS 2008) to test the
significance level at 5% probability level. Data will be checked for assumption of ANOVA
before running the analysis. Least significant difference (LSD) will be used to separate
treatment means.

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4. Beneficiaries
The expected beneficiaries from this research outcome will be

 Farmers
 Research workers
 Coming students and
 College/university

5. Work plan
List of activities and their corresponding period of accomplishments are summarized in Table
below.

Table1. Work Plan

No. L i s t o f A ct i vi t i es J a n u a r y February March April M a y June

1 X
Title selection and Proposal writin g

2 Proposal defense X

3 Material collecting x

4 L a n d p r e p ar a t i o n s x

5 Sowing of Wheat seed x

6 Application of N fertilizer x

7 Agronomic practices x x x

8 Data collection x x x

9 H a r v e s t i n g x

1 0 Data analysis x

1 1 Final report preparation x

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1 2 Final report sub-mission x

1 3 presentation and defense x

6. LOGISTICS

Table 2: Stationery Expenses

No. I t e m U n i t Q u a n t i t y Unit price Total price (Birr)

1 . Re-writable CD disk p c s 5 2 0 1 0 0

2 . Flash Disk (2 GB) p c s 1 1 2 0 1 2 0

3 P e n c i l No 1 5 . 0 0 5

4 P e n N o 2 1 0 . 0 0 1 0

5 . Printing Paper P k t 1 1 0 0 1 0 0

Sub total 3 3 5

Table 3. Experimental Supplies

No I t e m s U n i t Quantity Unit price (Birr) Total birr

1 wheat seed k g 5 7 0 7 0

2 Fertilizer (DAP) k g 5 1 0 5 0

3 Fertilizer (Urea) k g 5 1 0 5 0

S u b t o t a l 1 7 0

Table 4. Budget Summary

Categories T o t a l
No.
1 Stationer y 3 3 5
2 Experimental Supplies 1 7 0
5 0 5
T o t a l

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 7. REFERENCES
Bekele Geleta and D.G tanner .1995 statuses of cereal production andpathology research
in Ethiopia .Pp.42-50 watch Netherlands.
Bekele Hundie ,H-,verkuisl Mwangi W.,Jenner ,D.2000.Adoption of improved wheat
technologies in Adaba and Dodola woreda of the high land ,Ethiopia ,in
D.Tanner(ed),proceeding of the second national wheat work shop .international
maize and wheat important center (CIMMYT and Ethiopia agriculture an
research organization (EARO).Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ,Pp. 1-26.
Central statically agency (CSA). 2007. Agricultural sample survey report on area and
production for major crop statistical Bulletin in 388 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Central statistical agency (CSA) 2010 .Agriculture sample survey 2009/10 report on area
production crop (privatepeasant holding ,meher season).the FDRE
staticallybulletin ,vol.391,Addis Ababa Ethiopia ,79 p
DV orak JLUOMC, Yang ZL and Zhang HB (1996).The evolution of wheat .Theoretical
and applied genetics 97,657-670.
EARO (Ethiopian Agriculture and Research Organization 2000).
FAO (Food and Agriculture organization of the united Nation), 2005. FAO STAT
(online) available at htt://WWW.Fao orga/fao stat (cited 24 Feb, 2005; verified 14
Oct.2005)
Garcke (1972) IllustrateFlora, Paulparey Verlag, Berlin
Gomez K. A & Gomez A. A. 1984.Statistical procedures for agricultural research.2nd ed.
John Wiley and Sons, Inc. pp. 84-118.
Gooding D.J.C, Sylvester – Bradely.R and Scott.R.K 1997. The relationship between
canopy green area and nitrogen in the shoot, in: “Diagnostic procedures for crop
N management.”
Hussain M.I shah.S.H 2002Growth, yield and quality response of three wheat (triticum
aestiuml) verities to different level of N, pard K information .J of agri and Bio
4(3).362-364
Korber grohne U (1988). Biology of Bread wheat .their varilag stutt gart, Germany.
Massless, 1985 competition among tillers in winter wheat sequences for growth and
development of the crop. In growth and modeling (eds.W.day and R.k.atkin press,
New York, page 33-54

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Smith, K.A and champers B.J.1993 utilizing the nitrogen content of organic manures on
farms – problems and practical solutions, soil use and management Pp105 – 111

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