Wheat Spikelet Length Response to Phosphate Fertilizers on Acid Soils in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating response of wheat spikelet length, grain yield, grains per spikelet, and soil chemical properties as influenced by liming at 2tha-1 (main plots), P sources NPK (23:23:0), DAP (18:46:0), and SSP (0:20:0) (SSP)- (sub-plots) and, P rates (sub sub-plots) P0; 0 kg P ha-1, P1; 8.8 kg Pha-1, P2; 17.6 kg Pha-1 and P3; 26.4 kg Pha-1. A split-split plot arrangement laid out in a RCBD experiment was set up in two county sites; Chepkoilel and Kipsangui in 4 m2 plots, replicated 3 times. Data collected on spikelet length, grain per spikelet and grain yields were subjected to ANOVA using SAS 9.1 for Windows 2012 statistical package. Separation of means was done at 95% confidence level using Tukeys. Lime application significantly increased (p≤0.05) the spikelet length and grains/spikelet in both Chepkoilel and Kipsangui. Phosphorus rich fertilizer NPK application resulted in a significant (p≤0.001) increase in spikelet length and grains/spikelet in Chepkoilel and Kipsangui. NPK at 26.4 kg P/ha yielded a significantly high grains/spikelet (37.0k and 36.17g grains/spikelet) in Kipsangui and Chepkoilel respectively. The study recommends NPK (23:23:0) fertilizers at a rate of 26.4 kg P ha-1 for Chepkoilel and Kipsangui plus lime at 2tha-1 as most effective in improving spikelet length, grain per spikelet and grain yield. Keywords: soil acidity, Spikelet