Abstract
The study was undertaken by the problem of late planted garlic in Bangladesh and similar tropical regions where production is only possible during the short cool winter period after which rapid increase in temperature as well as humidity adversely affect the growth. Experiments were carried out in order to develop suitable variety (ies) and production techniques to get high yield and to overcome the stated adverse situation. The present research was carried out at the Alliums field laboratory, Horticulture Farm and laboratory of the BAU-Germplasm Centre, Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during the period from 2003-04 to 2006-07 and in the Spice Research Centre (SRC), Bogra during 2005-2006 to assess the control of bulbing in garlic through manipulation of different production systems as influenced by different germplasm, planting time, sources of nitrogen, application of nitrogen and potassium, plant spacing, planting system, seed clove size, mulch and irrigation. The results revealed that the plant height, number of leaves per plant, fresh and dry weight of bulb, length and diameter of bulb, total number of cloves, yield per plot and yield per hectare were significantly influenced by the treatment of different experiments under study. Results showed that among different germplasm, germplasm G19 was the best for yield and yield contributing characters. November 3 planting produced higher yield than early and late planted one. Garlic line G19 produced the highest yield in all the experiments studied under dry and wetland conditions. Ridge system gave the better performance in all the above mentioned parameters. Organic manure cowdung showed better effect on yield contributing characters and yield of garlic. Wider spacing reduced the yield per unit area and the closest spacing produced higher yield. Large size clove produced higher yield than small one, and the highest yield was recorded from the maximum dose of nitrogen (175 kg/ha). Potassium also showed good effect on yield, and the maximum yield was obtained from the maximum dose of potassium (200 kg/ha). Plants grown with water hyacinth mulch showed better performance in most of the yield contributing characters and yield than non-mulched one. Developed technology (planting time - 20 Oct. to 13 Nov.; Urea - 388.90 kg/ha; MP - 333.33 kg/ha; mulch - water hyacinth; Source of N - Cowdung; plant spacing 20 cm x 10 cm; seed clove size -1.22g and planting system - Ridge) performed better on all the mentioned parameters studied than the recommendation of BARI technology (planting time - 1 to 7 Nov.; Urea - 217 kg/ha; MP - 267 kg/ha; mulch - Rice straw; Source of nitrogen - Urea; plant spacing - 20 cm x 15 cm; seed clove size - 1.00 g; planting system - Flat). Finally, the garlic lines G19 and G2 got registration from the National Seed Board of Bangladesh, on 12 November 2006 as BAU Garlic-1 and BAU Garlic-2, respectively.