Rice productivity in Fogera Plain of Ethiopia is low due to poor soil nitrogen management. A field experiment was conducted for two years during the main cropping seasons of 2017 and 2018 in Fogera Plain to study the effect of N fertilizer rates and application methods on productivity and nitrogen use efficiency of lowland rice. The experiment was conducted using a factorial arrangement of six levels of N rates (46, 92, 138, 184, 230, and 276 kg N ha⁻¹) and two levels of application methods (farmers’ practice and mud-balls form) with the control, laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replicates. Results revealed that N rates had a significant effect on the growth, biomass and grain yields, and N use efficiency of rice. Interaction effects of application methods by N rates had only a significant effect on N use efficiency of rice. Generally, rain-fed lowland rice grain yield (4.2–5.2 tons ha⁻¹) positively responded to fertilizer N rates from 138 to 276 kg ha⁻¹. Nitrogen use efficiency was highest at the low and intermediate levels of N and low on highest levels of N. From this study, mud-balls making Urea is a tedious and labor intensive work. Rather, hence, nitrogen use efficient methods of Urea supergranule tablet should be used based on the recommended 276 kg ha⁻¹ nitrogen rate to exploit more grain yield of rain-fed lowland rice without yield penalty in Fogera Plain.

由于土壤氮素管理不善，埃塞俄比亚Fogera平原的水稻生产力较低。在2017年和2018年的主要农作季节里，在Fogera平原进行了为期两年的田间试验，研究了氮肥用量和施用方法对低地水稻生产力和氮利用效率的影响。使用六种水平的N因子（46、92、138、184、230和276 kg N ha ^-1）和两个水平的应用方法（农民的实践和泥球形式）与对照，以随机完整块设计（RCBD）的形式进行重复三遍。结果表明，氮素含量对水稻的生长，生物量和籽粒产量以及氮素利用效率都有显着影响。氮肥施用方式的交互作用对水​​稻氮素利用效率影响不大。通常，雨养低地水稻籽粒产量（4.2-5.2吨公顷^-1）对肥料氮含量从138到276千克公顷^-1呈正响应。。在低氮水平和中等氮水平下，氮的利用率最高。在最高氮水平下，氮的利用率低。根据这项研究，制造尿素的泥球是一项繁琐而费力的工作。因此，应根据建议的276 kg ha ^-1氮肥用量，使用尿素超颗粒片剂的高效氮肥利用方法，以开发更多的雨养低地水稻谷物产量，而不会在Fogera平原造成产量损失。