EFFECT OF CHICKEN MANURE LEVELS, BIOFERTILIZERS AND SOME FOLIAR APPLICATION TREATMENTS ON GARLIC 1. PLANT GROWTH AND LEAF PIGMENTS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Vegetables and Ornamentals Dept., Fac. Agric., Mans. Univ., Egypt

2 Potato and Vegetatively Propagated Veget., Hort. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center , Egypt

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out during the two successive winter seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 at El-Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station, Gharbeya Governorate, toevaluatethe effect of chicken manure levels, biofertilizers, some foliar application treatments and their interactions on  plant growth  and leaf pigments of garlic (Allium sativum L.) Sids 40 clone.
    The obtained results showed that the highest values of plant height, number of leaves/ plant, leaf area , fresh and dry weights/plant, neck and bulb diameters at 105 and 135 days after planting in both seasons and dry weight of bulb at 135 days after planting, chlorophyll a, b and total (a+b) as well as carotenoides were recorded with the highest nitrogen rate (120 kg N/fed.) in the form of chicken manure at 4.137 ton/fed. or mineral N ( control). Inoculation of garlic cloves with biofertilizers caused a high  significant effect on all plant growth characters and leaf pigments as compared  to uninoculated plants. Spraying  garlic plants with yeast extract  significantly increased  plant height, number of leaves/ plant, fresh and dry weights/ plant, neck and bulb diameter  as well as dry weight of bulb at 135 days after planting, chlorophyll a, b and total (a+b) as well as carotenoides in both season followed with spraying seaweed extract treatment.
     The best results of vegetative parameters were obtained with application of  nitrogen fertilizer  at 120 kg N/fed. of chicken manure at rate of 4.137 ton/fed. or  mineral nitrogen with biofertilizers and foliar application of yeast extract. Therefore, this treatment could be recommended for improving garlic vegetative growth parameters under similar conditions to this study.

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