Sorption characteristics, growth and yield response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to application of essential nutrients on nitisol and vertisol of Central Highland of Ethiopia

Wheat growth and yield response were evaluated in a greenhouse experiment using two major soils, Nitosols and Vertisols. Sorption capacities of the soils and crop response were employed to determine the availability of nutrients in the two soils. Eight fertilizer treatments (Optimum (Opt.),Optimum-N, Optimum-P,Optimum-K,Optimum-S,Optimum-B,Optimum-Zn and control) in Nitosols and six fertilizer treatments (Optimum, Optimum-N, Optimum-P, Optimum-S, Optimum-B and control) in Vertisols were arranged in completely randomized design (CRD) with five replications using wheat variety (Digalu) as a test crop. Deficiency in total N, available P, S and B was observed in the two soils. Besides, K and Z in Nitisols were less than three times the critical values. The result indicated that applications of optimum fertilizer significantly (P<0.05) increased plant height, spike length, number of seeds per spike, straw yield, grain yield and total biomass yield. Similarly, it resulted in an increase in grain yield of 75 and 68% over the controls in Nitosols and vertisols respectively. Omission of N, P, S, and B were resulted in grain yield reduction by 65.6, 23.4, 4.7, and 3.1% in Nitosols and by 69.4, 22.4, 14.1, and 15.3% in vertisols. Omission of K and Zn in Nitisols also causes up to 9.4 and 4.7% grain yield reduction. Thus, external supplies of these nutrients could be recommended for optimum production of wheat.   Key words: Grain yield, Nitisols, nutrient concentrations in plants, soil nutrient contents, Vertisols.