Effect of Magnesium Salts on Growth and Production of Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Abstract

A Randomized Complete Block Design (R.C.B.D.) experiment with three replicates was conducted to investigate the effect of foliar application of magnesium salts on growth, yield components and some inorganic minerals of leaves of garlic (Allium sativum L.) local variety. The salts (MgSO4.7H2O, Mg(NO3)2.6H2O and MgCl2.6H2O) addition to untreated plants as control. The concentration of Mg were used was constant (1.97 g Mg. L-1 which comes from 2% MgSO4.7H2O). The results revealed that vegetative growth of garlic was affected significantly by magnesium salts. Highest number of leaves was found in plants treated with MgCl2, the treatment which gave the lowest plant height, each of MgSO4 and Mg(NO3)2 had the highest shoot dry weight. Foliar spraying with Mg(NO3)2 produced highest shoot dry matter percent and highest percent of leaves Phosphorus leaves content, significantly compared to other treatments. The results showed that spraying plants with Mg(NO3)2 and MgSO4 improved yield components where head diameter , head weight, cloves number per head and bulbs yield were increased. Foliar spray with MgSO4 had a significant effects on head scale thickness, whereas there were non- significant effects between different Magnesium salts spraying on each of clove dry matter and percent of TSS content. This study concluded that spraying plants with MgSO4 or Mg(NO3)2 twice (45 days after planting and a month later) increased garlic yield and yield quality.