Nutrient Requirement Study of Some Barley Cult Ivars from Welmera.
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Date
1993-12
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This thesis presents a stu,ly on the nutrient requirements
of four barley (Hord~ vulgare L.) cultivars cultivated in
'Nelmera.
The cultivars were grown in two randomized complete blocks
in sand culture at four levels each of P (0,0.5,3 and 5.5 mg.eq),
and Ca ( 0,F,8 and 14 mg.eq.) factorialy combined.
Several growth parameters were determined and leaf nutrient
contents analysed. The resulting data were subjected to an analysis
of variance.
The results showed that there are treatment effects on the
growth responses of barley, and differential response of culti'"
vars to treatments.
Phosphorue had a sic;nificant effect on all the growth parameters,
Ihosphorus levels as low as 0.5 mg.eg. were able tel
produce significantly high effects on shoot and root dry-weights,
culm diameter and blade area of all cultivars. Shoot:root dryweif,
ht ratios of Nech Gebs and Semereta were also significantly
affected by P concentration of 0.5 mg.eq. Significantly higher
yields for ear dry-weight, grain weight, and ear and tiller
number per plant vccured at 3 mg.eq. of P.
The effects of calcium were relatively less pronounced than
that of phosphorus. Root dry~weight, shoct: rout dry-weight
ratio, blade area, and grain weight of all cultivars were significantly
affected by calcium application. These significances, however, were obtained only at higher levels of phosphorus in
solution. Oa-application had no significant effect at lower
levels of phosphorus (i.e 0 and 0.5 mg.eq.) in solution.
Significant differences between leaf nutrient contents were
observed only for certain cultivars. Thus, significant treatment
effect on % Oa content of leaves was observed only for Keye Gebs,
Percent Ii content of Enat Nech Gebs and Nech Gebs leaves showed
significant differences, while the same effect for % Mg content
of leaves was observed only for Enat Nech Gebs and Semereta-.
There were no significant variations in % P content of any of
the cultivars.
Deficiency symptoms were observed in all cultivars at the
lower P levels (i.e a and 0.5 mg.eq.) irrespective of Oa level
in solution. Older leaves of Keye Gebs and Semereta were purplish
in color while those of Enat Nech Gebs and Nech Gebs were
yellowish green. These symptoms were taken to indicate P-deficiency
.•
Of the four cultivars studied, Semereta had the highest
mean relative growth rate foll00ed by Keye Gebs, Nech Gebs and
Enat Nech Gebs respectively;
Morpholoe;ical differences as a result of treatment effects
were also observed among the cultivars. Semereta had significantly
higher grain yield, ear and tiller number per plant, and
ear dry-vJeight than the vther cuI ti vars. On the other hand, it
had Significantly Ivwer root and blade dry-weights.
aemereta also performed better than any of the other cUltivars
at very low phosphorus concentrations in solution.
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Biology