Abstract:
Garlicis one of the most important cash and spice crop produced inEthiopia.However, its
productivity is very low compared to its potential yield due to different biotic and abiotic factors,
mainlydue tolow soil fertility. Therefore, a field experiment was conductedat Debark district in
2018/19under irrigationto evaluate the effects of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer rates on
growth, yield and yield component of garlic. The treatments consisted of a factorial combination
of four rates of N (0, 52, 105 and 157kg ha
-1
) and four rates of P
2
O
5
(0, 46, 92, and 138 kg ha
),
which were laid out in a randomized complete block design with threereplications. Data were
collected on phenology, plant growth, yield and yield components of garlic and analyzed by using
SAS 9.4 software. The result showed that main effect of nitrogen very highly significant and
phosphorous highly significant) influence onphonological, growth, yield and yield component.
While the interaction effect of NP fertilizer rate significant effect on bulb diameter, bulb length,
bulb weight, marketable yield, unmarketable yield, total yield, harvest index and bulb dry matter,
respectively. The highest marketable bulb yield 15.3t ha
-1
was recorded from the combined
application of 157kg N and 92 kg P
2
O
5
ha
-
.
1
Increased combined application of nitrogen and
phosphorous from 0 to 157 kg N, and 92 kg P
2
O
5
ha
-1
marketable bulb yield were increased
by154.15% over the unfertilized treatment.Based on the partial budget analysis, the highest
economic net benefit was recorded from the combined application of 105kg N and 92 kgP
.
Therefore, it can be concluded that, it is advisable to apply 105 kg N and 92 kg P
to get
optimum profit of garlic production for Debark district.However, further study hasto be done
under multi-seasons and locations to verify the recommendation of the present study
