Effect of different levels of NPK fertigation on growth, yield and quality of garlic (Allium sativum L.) var. AAS-2 under Northern Dry Zone of Karnataka

A filed experiment was carried out at KRCCH, Arabhavi, UHS, Bagalkot during rabi 2024-25 to study the effect of different levels of NPK fertigation on growth, yield, quality and economics of garlic (Allium sativum L.) var. AAS-2 under Northern Dry Zone of Karnatak. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six treatment combinations with different levels RDF, viz. 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150% applied through fertigation using completely water-soluble fertilizers in split doses along with a conventional method of manual application. The result of experiment revealed that application of 100 per cent RDF (T₄) through fertigation recorded significantly maximum plant height (61.78 cm), number of leaves per plant (8.95), leaf length (48.81 cm), leaf breath (1.59 mm), collar diameter (7.08 mm), weight of the bulb (13.95 g/plant), bulb diameter (31.22 mm), number of cloves per bulb (23.75), bulb yield (7.58 t/ha), net return (3,37,328.85 Rs./ha) and return per rupee of expenditure (2.10) compared to other treatments along with a higher value for the quality parameter like sulphur content of 0.38 per cent. Application of 100 per cent RDF through fertigation results in a decrease in physiological weight loss per cent, sprouting per cent and rotting per cent, thereby improving the keeping quality of garlic bulb. Hence, it can be concluded that the application of 100 per cent of recommended dose of fertilizer (125:62.5:62.5 kg/ha) through fertigation in garlic proved to be most effective in enhancing growth, yield, quality and profitability under the Northern Dry Zone of Karnataka.