Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Selected Soil Properties and Yield and Yield Components of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Lume District, East Shoa, Ethiopia

Soil fertility depletion is one of the major limiting factors for wheat yield reduction in the study area. As a result, inorganic fertilizers are commonly supplied to the crop. However, continuous and sole use of inorganic fertilizers may lead to deterioration in soil chemical and physical properties. Therefore, the study was conducted to investigate the integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizers on selected soil properties and yield of wheat, which was conducted in Lume district, East Shoa Zone, during 2018 cropping season. The organic sources used were compost and vermicompost and urea and NPS where used as an inorganic source of fertilizers. The treatments consist of:- T1=5.64 t/ha compost, T2=5.68 t/ha vermicompost, T3=100% recommended NPS inorganic fertilizers, T4=50% recommended NPS inorganic fertilizers+2.82t/ha compost, T5=50% recommended NPS inorganic fertilizers+2.84 t/ha vermicompost, T6=No fertilizers (control).The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design replicated three times per treatments. Data were collected on, selected soil properties before treatment application and after harvesting on wheat yield and yield components. Economic analysis was also performed by estimating the costs of alternative uses of organic and in organic fertilizers as well as grain yield prices. The results showed that the application of organic fertilizer in combination with recommended rates of inorganic NPS significantly improves most of the soil physicochemical properties and significantly increased the grain yield of bread wheat over the application of 100% mineral NPS alone and the control. The application of 2.84 t/ha vermicompost in combination with 50% recommended rates of inorganic NPS increases soil organic carbon content by 41%, total nitrogen by 22%, available P by 15. 40%, available K by 36.14% and 0.58 t/ha wheat yield difference over the application of 100% recommended rate of inorganic NPS alone. Therefore,it can be concluded that the application of 2.84 t/ha vermicompost with 50% recommended rate of inorganic NPS fertilizers has maximum rate of return and can improve soil fertility status and increase the yield of wheat than other treatments. However, it is suggested that the experiment has to be repeated over seasons and locations to make conclusive recommendation in the study aera