Influence of sowing and nitrogen rates on teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) productivity under the conditions of South Central Bulgaria

Abstract

In 2021 - 2023, in the region of South Central Bulgaria, the influence of three sowing rates (10, 15 and 20 kg/ha) and four levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg/ha) on the productivity of teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) in two stages of development (milk and dough maturity) has been studied. The experiment was based on the method of fractional plots, with the size of the harvest plot 10 m2, under non-irrigated conditions. The statistical processing was carried out with the ANOVA LSD test and the MS Excel software package - 2010. Fertilization with 90 kg/ha of nitrogen resulted in the highest yields (up to 56.7% more green mass and up to 55.5% more dry matter) in all tested sowing rates (10, 15, 20 kg/ha) and harvesting phases (milk and dough maturity). The increase in the sowing rate from 10 to 15 kg/ha increased the yield of green mass and dry matter by up to 5.9% and 3.6%, respectively in the dough maturity phase. Teff productivity is positively correlated with the amount of vegetation precipitation (r = 0.745 – 0.766) and nitrogen fertilization (r = 0.535 – 0.541) and negatively correlated (r = -0.526 – -0.543) with vegetation temperatures. The conditions of the year (68.58 – 72.18%) and nitrogen fertilization (20.25 – 22.81%) have the main influence on the teff productivity. The influence of the sowing rate is weaker - 1.73 - 2.62% of the total variation. The harvesting phase has been shown to affect dry matter yield.

Keywords

• eragrostis tef (zucc.)
• green mass yield
• dry matter yield
• sowing rate
• nitrogen fertilization
• harvesting phase