This study was conducted at Horticultural Research Institute, NARC, Islamabad, Pakistan during autumn 2009-10 to evaluate the performance of 13 peas genotypes for higher yield and drought tolerance under rainfed conditions. Morphological characters studied were; days to 50 percent flowering, number of plants per plot, stem girth per plant, pod length, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed fresh weight, 100-seed dry weight and pod yield. Maximum pod yield was noted in 2001-55 (10.43 t/ha) followed by FS-21-87 (9.52 t/ha). Genotype 2001-55 also excelled in number of seeds per pod (8.56) and pod length (9.33 cm). Maximum plant height was observed in Shareen (125.7 cm) against minimum plant height (65.57 cm) in genotype 2001-55. Maximum 100- seed fresh weight (49.50 g) was noted in FS-21-87 followed by 2001-55 (46.00 g) and check Climax (40.0g) against minimum in genotype DMR-4 (20.20 g) On the basis of overall performances, genotypes 2001-55 and FS-21-87 are recommended for further evaluation.

Morphological performance of peas (pisum sativum) genotypes under rainfed conditions of potowar region

Farmers strive to produce high yield and good quality garlic both for  consumption and economic value but soil fertility depletion is among the major impediments to sustained garlic production, especially in the less developed countries, because of limited application of suitable rate, type and sources of fertilizers. Thus, the study was conducted on Andosol and Vertisol soils at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia, for two consecutive (dry and main rainy) seasons to assess the effect of various rates of compound fertilizers on growth, and nutrient content and uptake  of garlic. The treatments consisted of control (unfertilized), one level of recommended NP (92/40 kg ha -1 ), three levels of Azofertil (100, 200, 300 kg ha -1 ), four levels of Basic (100, 200, 400, 600 kg ha -1 ) and three levels of D-coder (100, 200, 400 kg ha -1 ). The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design with three replications at each site. The morphological characters like plant height, neck thickness and leaf  area index of garlic at different growth stages, and the contents and uptake of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur of the crop were significantly increased due to the applications of higher levels of Azofertil, Basic and D-coder compound fertilizers on Andosol soil during both seasons. However, the lowest growths, and nutrients content and uptake were recorded from the garlic plants fertilized with lower levels of the three compound fertilizers, recommended NP and the control plot, especially on Vertisol. Generally, plant growths, and nutrients contents and uptake of garlic followed by Azofertil at the rate of 300 kg ha -1 on Andosol during dry season by irrigation.

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Growth and Nutrients Content and Uptake of Garlic ( Allium sativum L. ) as Influenced by Different Types of Fertilizers and Soils

The main aim of this review is to provide an overview of the garlic crop productivity and its production management requirements like soil, climate and fertilization in general and specifically in Ethiopia, comparing them with current research trends and to indicate future benefits of soil nutrient management investigations and their importance for agronomic and cultural practices. This paper reviewed that application of balanced nutrients under optimum moisture availability in different soil types is an important crop management strategy, which may help maximizing crop yield and quality. Also, lack of optimum nutrients and moisture in the soil has been the major bottlenecks of garlic production and productivity; since the crop has a very shallow root system that requires frequent irrigation and fertilization with different types of fertilizers under various soil types. Low soil fertility is one of the principal and pervasive constraints to garlic production in Ethiopia; thus, there are differences among soil types in yielding ability under different nutrients and soil characteristics. Most smallholder farmers in Ethiopia appreciate the value of fertilizers, but they are seldom able to apply them at the recommended rates and at the appropriate time according to the soil characteristics. These are because of high cost, lack of credit, delivery delays, and low and variable returns. In addition, the traditional organic inputs, crop residues and animal manures, identified that it cannot meet crop nutrient demand over large areas because of the limited quantities available, the low nutrient content of the materials, and the high labor demands for processing and application. However, there was felt that could exist an opportunity to increase garlic crop yields through identification/selection of soil type and balanced nutrients application or searching for other nutrients sources beyond Urea and Diammonium phosphate especially in Ethiopian condition. Therefore, the integrated use of both the organic and inorganic fertilizers continuum inputs was felt the best option to increase both yield potential and quality of garlic crop and environment-friendly sustainable farming systems and increase of profit margins for growers.

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Review of Management Strategies of Constraints in Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Production

Garlic is an important cash crop for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Bulb quality is an important attribute that adds to the use and marketability of the crop. However, garlic bulb quality is constrained by several factors in the country among which imbalanced and low availability of nutrients in the soil is prominent. Therefore, a study was conducted on two soil types (Andosol and Vertisol) with the objective of elucidating the effect of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur application on the quality of the crop. The treatments consisted of three levels of nitrogen (0, 92, 138 kg N ha-1), three levels of phosphorus (0, 40, 80 kg P ha-1), and three levels of sulphur (0, 30, 60 kg S ha-1). The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement with three replications on each soil type. The results revealed that the main as well as the interaction effects of N, P, and S fertilizers on both soil types significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced bulb quality, namely, dry matter percentage, total soluble solids, pungency, bulb protein content, and bulb weight loss in storage, and concentrations of major nutrients in the bulb tissues. The bulb quality indices studied on both soil types correlated positively and significantly with each other but had a negative correlation with bulb weight loss. This result indicates favorable effects of integrated application of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur on garlic bulb quality. Combined applications of 92 kg N + 40 kg P + 30 kg S ha-1 and 138 kg N + 40 kg P + 60 kg S ha-1 led to the attainment of optimum bulb quality attributes on Andosol and Vertisol, respectively. However, it was application of 92 kg N + 40 kg P + 30 kg S ha-1 that was found to be economical for farmers. 

	 

	Key words: Andosol, bulb quality, inorganic fertilizer, nutrient concentration, soil type, Vertisol.

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S. A. Qaim Shah .

Papers

Effect of Nitrogenous Fertilizer on Growth and Yield of Garlic

Growth and Marketable Green Pod Yield Performance of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) under Varying Levels of NPK Fertilizers