EFFECTS OF BLENDED NPSB FERTILIZER AND SEED RATES ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF FOOD BARLEY (Hordeum Vulgar L.) IN DUNA DISTRICT, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Low soil fertility and poor crop management practices including useof inappropriate seeds rates are among the major constraints limiting the productivity offood barley in Ethiopia in general and in the study area in particular.Thus,field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of blended (NPSB) fertilizer and rates of seed on growth,yield components and yield of barely;and to estimate economically feasible of blended (NPSB) fertilizers and rates of seed for barely production in the study area. Factorial combination of five levels of NPSB (0, 50,100, 150, 200 kg ha-1) fertilizer and three level of food barley seeding rates (75,100 and 125kg ha-1).The treatmentwas laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results revealed that the spike length, total number of tillers, plant height and harvest index were significantly (P < 0.01) affected by the main effects of NPSB and seed rate. The maximum spike length (8.55 cm), total number of tillers (477.9), plant height(112.2cm) and harvest index (0.42) were obtained at the NPSB rate of 200 kg ha-1.Similarly,the maximumspike length (7.633cm)was recorded at seed rate of 100 kg ha-1and total number of tillers (474.5) plant height (110.2cm) and harvest index (0.38) were recorded at seed rate of 125 kg ha-1andday to 50% heading, days to 90% physiological maturity and thousand Kernels weight (g)were affected by main effects blended NPSB fertilizer rate 60day,116.2dayand58.9mg 200kgha1respectively.The interaction of the NPSB fertilizer and seed rates also significantly affected lodging percent,number of productive tillers per m2, Number of kernels per spike,aboveground dry biomass yield(tha1), grain yield (tha1)and straw yield (tha).The maximum lodging percent (25%),number of productive tillers per m2 (462.7),number of kernels per spike (54.3cm),aboveground dry biomass yield(12.84tha-1)grain yield (4.953tha-1) and straw yield (7.411tha-1) were recorded at combination of the highest rates i.e 200 kg NPSB with 125 kg seed rate ha-1. The results obtained with the currently used 100 kg NPSB with 100 kg of urea per ha-1were significantly different in grain yield at optimum seed rates i.e. 125 kg seed rate ha-1. The partial budget analysis revealed that the highest net return (45456.6 Birr ha-1) with MRR 2069.2% was obtained from a combined applications of 200 kg NPSB with seed rate of 125 kg ha-1. Based on the result of this study, it can be tentatively concluded that food barley at NPSB rate of 200 kg ha-1and seed rate of 125 kg ha-1 to be appropriate for food barley production in study area.