Response of garlic to micronutrients application in medium black calcareous soils of Saurashtra Region of Gujarat

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on Typic Heplustptes soils of Vegetable Research Farm, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat, during 2014-15 and 2015-16 to study the response of garlic to multi-micronutrients formulation mixture fertilizers in medium black calcareous soils. The results revealed that higher bulb(6712, 5762 and 6237 kg ha-1) and dry leaves (1370, 1181 and 1275 kg ha-1) yields in year 2014-15, 2015-16 and pooled results, respectively,as well as Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu uptake by bulb and dry leaves of garlic were registered with soil application of FeSO4 @ 15 kg ha-1 and ZnSO4 @ 8 kg ha-1 as per soil test value (STV),follow by soil application of multi-micronutrients Grade-V @ 40 kg ha-1 (T7) and foliar multi-micronutrients supplementation through 1.0 % spray having Fe-4.0%,Mn-0.1%,Zn-5.0%, Cu-0.5% and B-0.5 % grade-IV (T5) at 60, 75 and 90 days after sowing (DAS).These all the treatment were statistically at par with each other but significantly superior over control.The magnitude of increased in fruit yield were 22.8 and 14.8 and 14.2 % owing to soil application of FeSO4 @15kg ha-1 + ZnSO4 @ 8 kg ha-1 (STV-T8) and soil application of micronutrients mixture grade- V @ 40 kg ha-1 (T7) and micronutrients mixture grade-IV spray @ 1.0 % (T5) at 60,75 and 90 days after sowing (DAS), respectively, over control. Significantly higher value of bulb height (2.3 cm), plant height (26.5 cm), No of cloves per bulb (10.9) and bulb girth (1.9 cm) were also recorded with soil application of FeSO4 @ 15 kgha-1 and ZnSO4 @ 8 kgha-1 as per soil test value (STV), follow by foliar multi-micronutrients mixture Grade IV (T5). These both the treatments were statistically at par with each other but significantly superior over control. The soil application of multi-micronutrients mixture as per STV, soil application of multi-micronutrients @ 40 kg ha-1 and foliar spray 1.0% grade -IV were found beneficial and economical in increasing garlic yield.