Response of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Liming of Acid Soils under Different Land Use Systems of Loma Woreda, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Soil acidity problem is among soil degradation constraints to improve crop production and productivity in high rainfall regions of Ethiopia in general and in study area in particular. A greenhouse pot experiment was undertaken to evaluate wheat crop response to the applications of different rates of agricultural lime in acidic soils under different land uses (forest, grazing and cultivated) of the study area. The experiment employed 3×6 factorial combination of three land use types and six rates (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 t ha) of agricultural lime as treatments in a completely randomized design with three replications. The interaction of different land use types and applied lime rates very highly significantly (P≤0.01) influenced plant height, grain yield, total dry biomass weight, and harvest index however, insignificantly (P≤0.05) influenced days to 50% crop emergence, grain filling and physiological maturity, number of tillers and effective tillers each per plant, thousand kernel weight and P uptake. The responses of wheat to different lime rates and the yield advantages obtained differed from one land use type to another. Applications of lime, organic and inorganic fertilizers and crop rotation especially in the cultivated lands may enhance the productivity of the soils and the yield advantage of the crops.