Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

GROWTH, YIELD AND ECONOMICAL ASPECTS OF GARLIC (ALLIUM SATIVUM L.) INFLUENCED BY NITROGEN LEVELS AND METHODS OF APPLICATION

M.S. Bhande, L.R. Varma, Piyush Verma and Yogesh Pawar

Abstract

A field experiment was executed to study the effect of different levels of nitrogen and methods of application on growth, yield and economics of garlic. Experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with fourteen treatments replicated thrice. Treatment consisted of seven nitrogen levels and two methods of application. The findings of study revealed that application of N @ 150 kg ha1 recorded significantly highest plant height at 90 DAP (51.17 cm), number of leaves at plant-1 at 60 DAP (7.21) and number of leaves plant-1 at last harvest (9.31). The highest yield and yield attributes along with maximum economic returns were recorded @ 125 kg N ha-1 over rest of the N levels and produces significantly highest neck thickness at 60 DAP (0.239 cm), neck thickness at harvesting (0.775 cm), early bulb initiation (47.68 days), bulb maturity (155.47 days), diameter of bulb (5.30 cm), weight of bulb (28.16 g), number of cloves per bulb (24.68), bulb yield ha1 (201.47 q) and maximum gross return ( 4,24,300), net return ( 3,38,225) and benefit: cost ratio (4.92:1). Increased split application of N showed significant impact on growth, yield and economical attributes.