Growth and yield of garlic as influenced by foliar application of urea and micronutrients

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season of 2014-15 to study the effect of foliar spray of different levels of urea (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%) in combination with micronutrients such as ZnSO4, MnSO4, FeSO4 each at 0.5% and CuSO4 at 0.2%. Urea and micronutrients along with sticker were applied at 30, 45 and 60 days after planting. Total seventeen treatment combinations including control were laid out in randomized block design with three replications. The cloves of garlic cv. HG-17 were planted at a spacing of 15x10 cm in a plot size of 3.0x3.0 m. Foliar feeding of 0.5% zinc sulphate in combination with 1.5% urea three times at 15 days interval gave superior results with respect to measured parameters. The maximum plant height (36.38 and 53.80 cm) at 30 and 60 days after planting, leaf length (28.17 cm), neck thickness (9.47 mm), number of cloves per bulb (37.17), clove length (25.05 mm), fresh and dry weight of individual clove (0.95 and 0.46 g), total plant biomass (44.40 g) and total bulb yield (155.51 q/ha) was registered with foliar application of 0.5% zinc sulphate in combination with 1.5% urea, followed by 2.0% urea application in combination with 0.5% zinc sulphate.