A field experiment was carried out in 2017 and 2018 main cropping seasons in Ofla
and Emba Alaje Woredas in Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia. The experiment has
seven levels of NPSZn (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, kg ha-1) adjusted for N from
urea to the recommended N level (64 kg N ha-1) and the recommended P fertilizers
(46 kg P2O5 ha-1). The treatments were also arranged in a randomized complete block
design (RCBD) with three replications and executed on two farmers fields. Soil
samples were collected before planting and analyzed for selected physicochemical
properties. As a result, application of different rates of NPSZn blended fertilizer
significantly influenced yield and yield components of wheat at both sites. At Ofla,
the highest grain and straw yields were obtained from plots that received 200 kg
NPSZn ha-1 . At Emba Alaje, the highest grain and straw yields were harvested from
the application of 200 kg NPSZn ha-1 and 100 kg NPSZn ha-1, respectively.
Application of Zn in the blended fertilizer had no significant effect on grain Zn
concentration of bread wheat at both sites. Partial budget analysis revealed that the
optimum marginal rate of return was 22.25ETB and 16.06ETB at Emba Alaje and
Ofla, respectively. Both biological and economic analysis showed that applications of
200kg NPSZn with 28.6 kg N (62 kg urea) at Ofla and 100 kg NPSZn with 46 kg N
(100 kg urea) at Emba Alaje were optimum for wheat production and these rates
could be recommended for areas where the rainfall distribution and soil types are
similar with the study locations. Further study should be done on effects of NPSZn in
grain quality and single nutrient based experiment should be carried out to evaluate
the effect of each nutrient in the blended fertilizer for crop production.
