On-farm evaluation of alternative bread wheat production technologies in northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Wheat ( Triticum spp.) is a major crop grown in northwestern Ethiopia. The primary wheat production constraints in this area include low soil fertility, use of unimproved and disease-susceptible varieties, and high weed infestation. Technology packages, combining three nutrient levels (92-20, 41-20 and 0-0 kg N-P ha-1), the improved bread wheat cultivar (ET13), the local line (Israel), and two weed management methods (hand weeding and application of 2,4-D), were evaluated on farmers’ fields. Highly significant grain yield differences were observed among the treatments. The highest grain yield (2,991 kg ha-1) and the greatest benefit were obtained from application of 92-20 kg N-P ha-1 and 2,4-D herbicide on ET13. Adoption of the improved bread wheat cultivar was highly profitable regardless of fertilizer usage. The effect of fertilizer on grain yield and economic return was much greater than the effect of 2,4-D used alone for weed control.