PhD project: Nitrogen (N) availability and crop yield (Wheat and Tef( Eragrostis tef(zucc.) Trotter) under different N and soil management practices in semiarid Vertisols of Northern Ethiopia.

Dep. of Plant and Environmental Sciences

PhD student: Habtegebrial Kiros
Supervisor(s): Bal Ram Singh, Mituku Haile ( Mekelle university, Ethiopia)
Duration: 2003-2006

Nitrogen fertilization combined with the benefit of cereal-legume rotation, efficient cultivars and conservation tillage can play important roles in increasing the wheat and tef yields. Furthermore, mineralization of N present in soil organic matter coupled with variable N rates can assist in predicting the ability of the soil to supply N so as to adjust fertilizer N rates to meet the need of the growing crops.

Objectives:
1. The effect of N rates and tillage practices on crop yield, N availability, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and water use efficiency (WUE) of two local wheat verities and tef grown under rain fed condition of the semiarid Vertisols.
2. Quantify the N2 fixation efficiency of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and dekoko grains (Pisum sativum L.) as affected by rhizobial inoculation and the application of P fertilizers by using 15N isotopic techniques.
3. Estimate the N availability of N fixing grain legumes for the following crops.


Updated: 29.03.06
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