Performance of Finger Millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] Influenced by Integrated Effect of Vermicompost and Inorganic Fertilizer Rates in Ethiopia

Abstract

Finger millet is extensively cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and is known to save the lives of small income farmers from starvation at times of extreme drought. Therefore, this field experiment was carried out to study the integrated effect of vermicompost and inorganic fertilizer blended NPSB with urea on yield and yield components of finger millet. Treatments of the experiment consisted of four levels of vermicompost (25, 50, 75, and 100%) and three levels of recommended NPSB and urea (25, 50 and 75%) rates, control, recommended vermicompost alone (4.64 t ha-1), and inorganic fertilizer alone (100 kg NPSB ha-1 and 90 kg urea ha-1). Experiment was arranged in the field in Randomized Complete Block Design in fifteen treatments replicating thrice. The maximum (10730.4 kg ha-1) dry biomass weight and straw yield (88235 kg ha-1) was obtained with the application of 100: 25% vermicompost and recommended NPSB with urea. Utmost harvest index (33.8 7%) and grain yield (2202 kg ha-1) of finger millet were obtained with the application of 25:50% vermicompost and blended NPSB with urea. The highest net benefit of ETB 56475.9 ha-1 with a marginal rate of return of 93.63% was recorded from application of 25:50% vermicompost (1.16 tons ha-1) and blended NPSB with urea, (50 kg NPSB ha-1 and 45 kg urea ha-1), fertilizer. Hence, it is recommended to apply 25:50% vermicompost (1.16 tons ha-1), and blended NPSB with urea, (50 kg NPSB ha-1 and 45 kg urea ha-1), fertilizer to increase finger millet productition in the study area.