Effects of Blended NPSB Fertilizer Rates on Yield and Grain Quality of Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) Varieties in Minijar Shenkora District, Central Ethiopia

Use of appropriate varieties and balanced fertilizer application are major agronomic practices to improve the productivity and quality of durum wheat. Hence, a field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of blended nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and boron (NPSB) fertilizer rates on yield and yield components, and grain quality of selected durum wheat varieties. Factorial combinations of four NPSB rates (0, 61, 122, 183 kg ha-1) and four durum wheat varieties (Alemtena, Mangudo, Ude, Utuba) were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. All the plots were supplemented uniformly with 46 kg N ha-1. Among the varieties, variety Mangudo recorded the highest grain yield (2682 kg ha-1), thousand kernels weight (44.7 g), grain protein content (11.5%), and vitreousness (71.8%). The main effect of NPSB fertilizer showed significantly the highest number of kernels per spike (42.7), thousand kernels weight (44.8 g), aboveground dry biomass yield (11772 kg ha-1), and grain yield (3640 kg ha-1), the highest hectoliter weight (80.2 kg hl-1), grain protein content (11.7%) and vitreousness (81.5%) at the highest NPSB rate (183 kg ha-1). The partial budget analysis also revealed that variety Mangudo gave the second highest economic benefit of 44614.25 Birr ha-1 at 183 kg NPSB ha-1. Thus, variety Mangudo with application of 183 kg NPSB ha-1 can be recommended for durum wheat production in Minijar Shenkora District and in areas with similar agro-ecological conditions