The Effect of Seed and Blended Fertilizer Rates on Crop Performance, Fertilizer Use Efficiency, and Economic Benefit of Bread Wheat in Western Ethiopia

Proper seed and fertilizer rates are crucial for maximizing crop productivity, economic returns, and fertilizer use efficiency. We conducted a factorial experiment consisting of three seed rates (100, 125, and 150 kg ha −1 ) and five NPSB blended fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha −1 ) in a randomized complete block design with four replications in Western Ethiopia to determine the optimum seed and NPSB blended fertilizer rates for profitable bread wheat production in the study area. The 150 kg ha −1 seed rate produced the longest plant with the shortest spike and the lowest weed growth, while the 100 kg ha −1 seed rate produced the shortest plant with the longest spike and the highest weed growth. The 200 kg ha −1 fertilizer rate showed the longest plant growth and grain‐filling periods with the highest plant height, spike length, and weed growth, whereas the 150 kg ha −1 fertilizer rate showed the highest harvest index. However, the control treatment showed the lowest plant height, spike length, harvest index, and weed growth. The interaction between the 150 kg ha −1 seed rate and 150 kg ha −1 fertilizer rate provided a higher number of tillers and grain yields with good fertilizer agronomic efficiency (24.7 kg kg −1 ) and the highest net benefit (42,182 ETB ha −1 ) and marginal rate of return (63976.0%) compared to the other treatments. The interaction between the 150 kg ha −1 seed rate and 200 kg ha −1 fertilizer rate also provided higher biomass, grain, and straw yields with a higher net benefit (41,343 ETB ha −1 ) than the other treatments. These results indicate that 150 kg ha −1 seed and NPSB blended fertilizer rates can be the economically feasible optimum seed and NPSB blended fertilizer rates for bread wheat production in the study area.