The yield of linseed crops was low in the study area due to improper field management practices with, poor fertilizer application being a major challenge. To address this issue, a field experiment was conducted during the 2019 and 2020GC main cropping seasons at Harato and Gitilo sites to investigate the response of blended NPS fertilizer rates on the growth and yield components of linseed varieties. The factorial experiment included four blended fertilizer rates and four linseed varieties, arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The analysis of variance showed that growth and yield components were significantly influenced by the main effect of linseed varieties and NPS fertilizer rates. Additionally, days to 90% physiological maturity, plant height, number of capsules per plant, seeds per capsule, dry biomass and seed yield were significantly (p< 0.05) affected by the interaction effect of linseed varieties and NPS fertilizer rates. The maximum seed yield was recorded for improved varieties such as Kuma (1861 kg /ha), Berene (1860 kg/ ha), and Belay (1796 kg/ha) at the rate of 150 kg NPS fertilizer per hectare. In contrast, the minimum seed yield was observed for a local cultivar with no NPS fertilizer applied. Therefore, it is recommended to sow Kuma and Berene varieties and apply 150 kg NPS per hectare in similar agro ecologies for optimum results.

Highlights

• Weather condition (sites and years) influence on linseed yield.
• NPS fertilizers mainly recommended for oil crops.
• Linseed varieties vary in seed yield.