Organic cultivation of Garlic

Varieties

Local, Ooty 1, Farwi, Rajalle Gaddi and Singapore

Season

June – July, October – November

Soil and climate

Well drained, silt or clay loam soils are suitable. It requires relatively cool weather.

Seeds and sowing

The field is prepared to a fine tilth.  Shallow furrows are formed at a spacing of 15 cm. The seed bulbs called as  “ Cloves ” are planted at a spacing of 10 cm.

Seed rate

500 – 600 Kg per hectare

Seed treatment

Seed treatment with 3 % Dasagavya for 30 minutes followed by seed treatment with 5% Pseudomonas fluorescens. Seed treatment with biofertilizers like Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria @ 500 g/ ha using rice gruel should also be done.  

Manuring

1. Green manuring with lupin 15 days before planting should be done to increase the available N status of the soil
2. Application of well decomposed farmyard manure @ 30 t / ha at the time of land preparation
3. Application of biodynamic compost @ 5 t / ha at the time of land preparation
4. At the time of land preparation, application of vermicompost @ 2.5 t / ha should be done
5. At the time of land preparation, application of biofertilizers like Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria each @ 5 Kg / ha should to be done
6. During land preparation, sprinkling of horn manure to the soil at the rate of 75 g / ha by dissolving it in 40 litres of water should be done to maintain the soil pH and also to increase the Ca levels of soil

Growth regulators

1. Spraying 10 % vermiwash 5 times at 15 days interval from one month after sowing
2. Spraying Cow pat pit @ 5 kg / ha in 100 litres of water on 45th, 60th, and 75th day after sowing to increase the yield
3. Foliar spraying of horn silica @ 2.5 g / ha by dissolving it in 50 litres of water on 65 dayth after planting to increase the yield and quality of garlic
4. Foliar spraying of 5% Manchurian tea extract 5 times at 15 days interval from one month after sowing

Irrigation

Garlic is being cultivated both under irrigation and rainfed condition. In the case of irrigated crop, the first irrigation should be given the day after planting and thereafter once in 3 days, depending on the rain.

After cultivation

Once in a month hoeing and weeding should be given so that the field should be kept weed free. At the time of each weedig and hoeing it should be earthed up so that the developing bulbs will not be exposed to the sun.

Plant protection
Pests
Thrips

1. Spray neem oil 3 %
2. Spraying of 10% nettle leaf extract on 45th, 60th and 75th day after planting
3. Foliar spray of 10 % Garlic- chilli extract

White grubs

1. Summer ploughing to expose the pupae and adults
2. Install light traps between 7 pm and 9 pm in April – May months
3. Hand pick the adult beetles in the morning
4. Hand pick the 3rd instar grub during July – August
5. Application of Metarrhizium anisopliae @ 20 kg/ha at the time of land preparation

Diseases
Blight

Spraying Agni Hotra ash (200 g Agni Hotra ash soaked in 1 liter cow urine for 15 days and diluted in 10 litres of water before spraying) 3 times at one month interval from one month after planting

Soil borne diseases       

1. Application of Trichoderma viride @ 5kg/ha
2. Application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 5 kg/ha

Harvest

When the garlic is ready for harvest, in the beginning the leaves will turn to yellow and later on, the leaves will completely dry. At this stage the bulbs are pulled by hand individually and heaped. Then the leaf sheath is cut close to the bulb having a length of one to two centimeters. The roots are also trimmed. Then it is dried in the sun thoroughly for a week and graded depending upon the size and weight.

Yield

10 – 15 tonnes per hectare.