Effects of Sowing Date and Wheat Variety on Grain Yield and Soil Physicochemical Properties in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract The cultivation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is of utmost importance in Ethiopia, both for consumption and generating income; however, its production capacity is limited due to climate change and low soil fertility status. Sowing date and wheat variety play crucial roles in determining plant phenology, biomass, and grain yield, but their effects vary depending on the different types of agro-ecologies. Data are insufficient for the North Gondar Zone. This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of sowing date and wheat variety on growth, biomass, yield, and some selected soil parameters in 2026. The experimental design of the factorial arrangement included three sowing dates and three varieties of wheat, with a RCBD of three replications each. The data was subjected to analysis of variance using SAS version 9.4 for each trait, and means separation was done using LSD at 5%. For Dabat, there was significant effect of sowing date on maturity, total biomass, grain yield (from 2,911.1 kg ha⁻¹ for early sowing to 1,344.4 kg ha⁻¹ for late sowing), and by-product biomass. There was a significant effect of variety on phenology, plant height, biomass, and grain yield. For Debark, there was significant effect of sowing date on maturity, plant height, total biomass, grain yield, and by-product biomass, whereas variety had a significant effect on anthesis and plant height. Soil analysis revealed that Dabat had more clay content, organic carbon content, total nitrogen, and cation exchange capacity compared to Debark, where the silt content and soil erosion were higher. Both areas had acidic soils with low electrical conductivity. Late sowing greatly affected the wheat yield negatively. This demonstrates the need for variety-specific planting times in North Gondar.