Guru GyaanAgroStar Agronomy Centre of Excellence
Let us take up garlic farming using improved technology
The average yield of garlic in our country is only 9 MT/hectare. When there is scarcity of supply, the rates of garlic sky rocket.The producers in our country have to face the challenge due to the garlic imported on a large scale from China. Compared to onion or other vegetables, the cost of cultivation of garlic is more, because the seeds are expensive.The duration of crop growth is more. Labour cost is more for cultivation and harvesting and the yield is comparatively less. By adopting good cultivation management more and better quality yield can be obtained.
Temperature
Garlic is a crop which responds to the cold. During growth stage, cold and slightly humid weather and at the time harvesting when the bulb matures, dry weather is required. 90% of the garlic cultivation in the country takes place in the month of November.
Before the bulbs start growing the number of leaves should be many and if they grow well, only then good yield can be guaranteed.
The low temperature at night in the months of November, December, January is favourable for the growth of plants. During February, March the temperature at night is low; but the day temperature increases.The humidity decreases and the bulb starts growing.
Soil
Soil should be airy and fertile.
Good yield can be obtained from medium back soil having good supply of organic fertilizers. In heavy black soil or sticky soil, the bulbs do not grow well. The soil where water is not well drained should be avoided.
Cultivation
In the summer after deep ploughing, harrowing should be done 2-3 times. Grass, knots of nut grass or the remnants of earlier crop should be removed. 10 to 15 tonnes of FYM/hecatre should be mixed in the soil at the time of last harrowing. For cultivation, beds should be created at the distance of 2*4 or 3*4 meters. If the land is flat, the furrows of 1.5 to 2 meters width and 10 to 12 meters length can be created. The garlic cloves need to be dibbled. The selected cloves should be planted on the flat bed at 15* 10 cms. distance and at 2 cms of depth. On the bed parallel to the width, the lines should be marked at every 15 cms using sickle and at the 10 cms distance, the cloves should be kept vertically and then should be covered with soil. Before cultivation, the cloves should be drenched in the Carbendazim and Carbosulfan solution for two hours and then cultivated. In 10 liters of water, 20 ml Carbosulfan and 25 gm Carbendazim should be mixed and a solution should be prepared.
Planning of fertilizers and water -
The crop needs 40 kg nitrogen, 20 kg phosphorus and 20 kg potash per acre. At the time of cultivation, half dose of nitrogen and full dose of phosphorus and potash should be given. The remaining dose of nitrogen should be given in two parts. The cloves should be planted in the dry soil and immediately water should be given. After germination, at the interval of 8 to 10 days, as per the texture of the soil, water should be given. If ammonium sulfate is used, the crop gets required sulphur dose.
Disease control-
Brown blight - Brown coloured long lesions appear on the leaves. The size of the lesions starts to increase and growth is stunted because of it and as a result, the size of bulb remains small.
Control - At the interval of 10 to 15 days, mancozeb 25-30 gms. or carbendazim 20 gm per liter of water should be mixed in 10 liters of water and should be sprayed with inseticides alternatingly.
Dr. Shailendra Gadge(Directorate of Onion & Garlic Research, Rajguru Nagar dist.Pune), Agrostar Agronomy Excellence Center, 5th December 17
167
3