Effect of potassium application methods on garlic plants grown under sandy soil conditions

Abstract EN

Two field experiments were carried out during the two consecutive winter seasons of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 at El-Khattara Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of potassium sulphate 50% K2O (60, 90, 120 and 150 kg/fad.) as soil application, potassium silicate (0.0, 3.0 and 6.0 cm3 /l) as foliar application and their interaction on the growth characters, plant dry weight, total yield and bulb quality of garlic cv.

Balady grown in sandy soil under drip irrigation system.

The results emphasized that potassium sulphate at 120 or 150 kg/fad., was the best levels used for its superiority in producing the tallest plants, number of leaves/plant, bulb and neck diameters, the heaviest dry weight of bulbs, leaves and roots, total yield/fad., TSS and NPK percentages in bulb and leaves of garlic compared to the lowest levels under study.

Meanwhile, foliar spray by potassium silicate at 6.0 cm3 /l gave the highest values of growth, NPK in leaves and bulbs and total yield in both seasons.

The present study recommends that using potassium sulphate 120 kg/fad., combined with 6.0 cm3 /l of potassium silicate for increasing total yield per fad., of garlic (cv.

Balady) grown in sandy soil under similar field conditions.