Influence of seed sources and seeding rates on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity in Banja District, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract Bread wheat productivity in Northwestern Ethiopia is extremely low due to poor-quality seeds and inappropriate seed rates. To address these problems, field and laboratory experiments were conducted during the 2024 cropping season in Banja District to evaluate the effects of seed sources and rates. Seed quality was evaluated in the laboratory using a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. The field experiment employed a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications, including four seed rates (125, 150, 175, and 200 kg ha⁻¹) and three seed sources: Adet Research Center, Ediget Bandnet Cooperative, and farmer-saved seeds of the Danda’a variety. Laboratory results indicated that seed sources significantly influenced by initial seed quality of bread wheat. Seeds from Adet Research Center showed the highest physical purity (99.97%), standard germination (98.33%), thousand kernel weights (41.20 g), seedling vigor index I (27.18), and seedling vigor index II (0.02). In the field experiment, grain yield was highly significantly affected by both seed sources and rates. The highest grain yield of 5.39 t ha⁻¹ was achieved with Adet Research Center seeds, while 200 kg ha⁻¹ seed rate produced 5.37 t ha⁻¹. The combination of Adet Research Center seed with 200 kg ha⁻¹ contributed the maximum net benefit of 103,480.30 Ethiopian Birr ha⁻¹ and a marginal rate of return of 582.9%. These results suggest that using 200 kg ha⁻¹ of Danda’a variety seeds from Adet Research Center can substantially improve wheat productivity. Further verification across multiple varieties, locations, and years is recommended to confirm these findings.