Optimizing bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity through row application of lime on acidic soils in the Eastern Amhara Highlands, Ethiopia

Soil acidity is among the most severe soil fertility problems and poses a significant risk to sustainable crop production in Ethiopia, limiting nutrient availability, reducing fertilizer application efficiency, and ultimately hindering agricultural productivity. It is a fundamental problem in the Wadla district. Acidic soils are deficient in essential plant nutrients. Furthermore, soil acidity affects root development, leading to reduced nutrient and water uptake. Using the calcium hydroxide direct titration method, a field experiment was carried out during the main cropping seasons of 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the effect of lime row application on bread wheat yield and yield components in the acidic Wadla district soil. The actual lime requirement was split into 12.5, 25, 50, and 75% to be applied in a row. The experiment consisted of six treatments, including a control (without input), recommended nitrogen and phosphorus only, and four rates of lime (12.5%, 25%, 50%, and 75%) with recommended NP, laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The collected data on yield and yield-related traits were analyzed using SAS software (version 9.0) and subjected to Duncan’s Multiple Range Test for mean separation when the analysis of variance was significant. The over-year combined analysis of an experiment showed no significant (P ≥ 0.05) yield difference between lime rate and recommended NP, except when compared with the control treatment that has no lime and recommended NP. The grain yield increased by about 38% with the recommended NP fertilizer. Lime application further enhanced grain yield, resulting in increases of 44%, 47%, 52%, and 52% at 12.5%, 25%, 50%, and 75% lime rates, respectively, compared with the control treatment. The partial budget analysis result revealed that the application of 50% of the actual lime rate in row application brought economically optimum grain yield. Therefore, the application of 50% lime could be recommended in the study area.