Effects of Nutrient Management on Growth, Agronomic Efficiency, and Economic Yield of Barley in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major grain crop worldwide, including mining in Afghanistan. Indigenous nutrients are frequently the most limiting factors for crop output in the world's major agricultural areas; therefore, effective fertilizer use tactics generally result in significant financial gains for farmers. A field experiment was conducted at the research farm of the Afghanistan National Agricultural Science and Technology University (ANASTU) in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The experiment consisted of two barley varieties, viz., Takhar Barley 013 and Darulaman Barley 013, combined with six indigenous nutrient supply treatments. The set of treatment combinations was replicated three times in a factorial randomized block design. Among Indigenous nutrient supply, agronomic use efficiency (AUE) of N (12.88 kg kg-N-1), P (25.75 kg kg-P-1), K (40.0 kg- K2O -1) and Zn (367.9 kg kg-Zn-1), PFP of N (29.2 kg kg-N-1), P (58.3 kg kg-P-1), K (116.7 kg kg- K2O -1) and Zn (833.4 kg kg-Zn-1), gross returns (109085.4 AFN ha-1) and net returns (50089.5 AFN ha-1) were significantly higher with application of recommended rates of fertilizer application (NPKZn) as compared to omission of nutrients. Whereas N omitted plots recorded significantly, AUE omitted plots over other nutrients. Therefore, the Takhar Barley 013 genotype, along with the recommended rate of fertilizers, was found to be more productive and economically remunerative for cultivation in Kandahar, Afghanistan.