Growth and Yield Response of Garlic (Allium Sativum L.) to Intra-row Spacing and Variety at Selekeleka, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Garlic is an important condiment and cash crop in Ethiopia. Low yield and productivity of the crop are the major characteristics of the crop in the country. Many factors affect the productivity of the crop in the country, however poor agronomic practices, especially the use of low-yielding varieties and inappropriate spacing, are the major ones. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the growth and yield response of garlic to intra-row spacing and variety, and to identify the optimum intra-row spacing and high-yielding variety. Methods: The field experiment was composed of three garlic varieties vis-a-vis Tsedey 92, Bishoftu Netch and Local and four levels of intra-row spacing with 5cm, 7.5cm, 10cm and 12.5 cm laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. Data pertaining growth, yield and yield-related parameters were collected and analyzed using Genstat software. Results: Main effects of variety and intra-row spacing significantly(p≤0.05) affected days to maturity, plant height, leaf number, leaf length, leaf width, bulb length, bulb diameter, clove number per bulb, mean bulb weight, and clove diameter. Interaction effects of variety and intra-row spacing significantly (p≤0.05) influenced clove length, fresh biomass yield, dry biomass yield, marketable cloves per bulb, marketable, unmarketable and total bulb yield. The highest total bulb yield of 8.98 tha-1 was obtained from treatment combination of variety Tsedey 92 and 5cm intra-row spacing although at par with treatment combinations of Bishoftu Netch variety and 5cm intra-row spacing which gave 8.70 tha-1 while the lowest (5.37 tha-1) was obtained at treatment combinations of local variety and intra-spacing of 12.5cm. The highest (8.05 tha-1) and lowest (4.94 tha-1) marketable bulb yield of garlic were obtained at treatment combinations of variety Tsedey 92 planted with 5cm intra-row spacing and local variety planted with 12.5cm, respectively. Conclusion: Tsedey 92 variety together with an intra-row spacing of 5cm could be suggested for high total and marketable bulb yield in the study area.

Phenology, growth, yield, and yield-related traits of Ethiopian garlic genotypes. A review

“…Several researchers had reported that genetic diversity in garlic is revealed in genotypes that are tested for a variety of different morphological (growth, yield, and yield traits) traits that indicate the presence of true variability in the garlic [ [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] ]. Azene [ 56 ] indicated that there was great variability among the garlic accessions for leaf length (cm), number of leaves per plant (cm), bulb weight (g), bulb diameter (equatorial) (cm), number of cloves per bulb, clove weight (g), and bulb yield (tons per hectare).…”

“…The total production from 12,429 ha of land was only 124,801 quartiles. The low production of garlic growth, yield, and yield-related traits was due to biotic and abiotic factors such as lack of high-yielding genotypes [ [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] ], inappropriate organic and inorganic fertilizer [ 3 , 4 , 18 , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] ], inappropriate intra-row spacing [ 38 , 42 , 43 , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , 69 ], clove weight and size [ [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] ], watering [ [61] , [62] , [63] , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] ], mulching [ 70 , 71 ], disease [ 12 , 36 , 42 , [53] …”

“…Among them, the most important primary factor is genotype due to its genetic variability at different locations (agronomy, post-harvest, and institutional) [ [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [89] , [90] , [91] , [92] , [93] , [94] , [95] , [96] , [97] , [98] , [99] , [100] , [101] , [102] , [104] , [105] , [106] , [107] , [108] ]. This review focuses on impact of genotypes on phenology, growth, yield and yield traits in Ethiopia only.…”

“…While in Ethiopia, it is commonly produced in the midland and highlands [ [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , 31 , 107 , 108 ]. Scholars have shown that the genotype of the garlic plant affects the growth yield and yield-related traits of the garlic plant [ 17 , 24 , 26 , 27 ]. Mohammed et al [ 17 ] reported that among the types of varieties like Chefe, Kuriftu, Tsedey 92, Holleta, Chelenko I (Standard Check), and Local, there were significant effects on the plant height, leaf length, bulb diameter, number of cloves per bulb, bulb weight, and yield.…”

“…Besides, other genotypes exist, such as Briki-Gc-1/16, Birki-Gc-2/16, Bora-Gc-16, Bisheftu Nech, Bora-2/16, Bora-3/16, Bora-1/16, MM-98, Sekela-Lijima, Dejen-Koncher, Awebel-Dehguma, Dejen-Borbor, Bure-Kebsa, Sinan-Debre Zeit, Sekela-Yedem Mariyam, Banja-Satma, Dejen-Gibgib, Sekela-Menbeta, Banja-Satma, Awebel-Yazera Giorgis, Dembecha-Senseb Gebriel, Dejen-Jeva, G-99-2, Felegdaero, Guahgot, and other locals were tested. Consequently, genotypes influenced growth, yield, and yield-related traits in different areas of the country (Ethiopia) [ 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 27 , [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] ]. Gebre [ 114 ] indicated that garlic yield was determined by different factors in Ethiopia.…”