Package of Practice

Garlic Farming

An Initiative of North Eastern Council (NEC)

Implemented by North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi)
Model Project Profile

Garlic
Allium sativum
Alliaceae
Garlic is one of the important bulb crops grown and used as a spice or condiment. Garlic has higher
nutritive value than other bulb crops. It is mainly used for flavouring and seasoning vegetables and
many dishes. It is rich in proteins, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and carbohydrates.
Garlic is carminative and is a gastric stimulant and thus help in digestion and absorption of food. Allicin
present in aqueous extract of garlic reduces cholesterol concentration in human blood.

Climate and Soil: Garlic can be grown well up at elevation of 1000–1300 m from the mean sea level.
It requires short days, cool (12–180C) moist period during vegetative growth. A well-drained friable
soil rich in organic matter with a pH range of 6.0 – 7.0 is ideal for good crop.

Varieties: Godavari, Sweta, HG 1, HG 6, Pusa Sel 10, LCG, 1 ARU52, Agrifound White, Yamuna
Safed, Yamuna Safed 2 , Yamuna Safed 3, G 282, Agrifound Parvati.

Propagation: Garlic is propagated by single clove, Bulbils and Tissue culture techniques

Seed rate: About 500kg of 8-10mm diameter cloves are required to plant one hectare of land.

Planting time: Usually, Garlic is planted during September– November.

Spacing: The planting distance is 15cm X 10cm.

Manures and Fertilizers: Apply FYM@50tonnes/ha at the time of field preparation. Recommended
fertilizer dose is 100kg N, 50kgP2O5 and 50kg K2O per hectare for better yield.

Weed management: First weeding is done one month after planting and second one month after first
weeding. Pendimethalin @ 3.5 litres or Goal @ 0.25 kg/ha + 1 hand-weeding gives good control of
broad leave weeds.
Water management: Garlic needs irrigation at 8 days intervals during vegetative growth and 10-15
days during maturation.

Harvesting and Yield: Garlic becomes ready for harvesting when its tops turn yellowish or brownish
and show signs of drying up and bending over. The bulbs mature 130-180days after planting. The yields
of garlic bulbs vary from 100 to 200q/ha depending upon variety and regions.

Post Harvest Management: Proper curing, sorting and grading, transportation and storage are essential
to minimize the post harvest looses in garlic crop. Cold storage of garlic is possible at 0.5-2.2°C
temperature and 60-70% relative humidity.

Plant Protection Measures:

Diseases

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Model Project Profile

Purple Blotch: It appears on leaves as small whitish sunken lesions with purple centres that rapidly
enlarge. The leaves fall over gradually. Spraying of Mancozeb @ 2.5 g/litre of water at 15 days intervals
gives good control.

Cercospora Leaf Blight: This disease appears on leaves as small, ash-coloured and irregular shaped
spots scattered on leaf lamina. The spots coalesce gradually and results in blightening of foliage.
Spraying of Ziram or Captan @ 2.0 g/litre of water or copper oxychloride @ 3.0 g /litre of water at
fortnightly intervals gives good control.

Powdery Mildew: Distinct pale-yellow patches of variable size on abaxial surface of leaf associated
with powdery mass are its main characteristics. Sulphur fungicides @ 2.0 g/ litre of water if sprayed at
regular intervals of 15 days after disease appearance gives good control.

Mosaic Disease: It shows typical symptoms of chlorotic mottling and strips on first emerging leaf
followed by pale-yellow broken stripes, resulting in typical mosaic pattern on matured leaves. Spraying
of monocrotophos @ 0.5 ml/litre of water or methyl demeton @ 0.75 ml/litre of water is useful.
Pests
Thrips: Thrips are feed on leaf surfaces, causing them to whiten or silver. They are slender about 1/25"
long usually hide in angles of leaves. Spraying of Malathion @ 1 ml/ litre or Methyldemeton @ 0.75
ml/ litre of water gives good control if sprayed at frequent intervals.

Stem and Bulb Nematode: The infestation causes the basal portion of mature plants to swell and
become spongy and frequently broken by longitudinal splits. The tissue rots, the leaves and stems
become rotten and twisted and the plant is stunted. Pre-planting soil fumigation with dichloro-propene-
dichloropropane mixture @ 500 kg/ha is recommended.

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Model Project Profile

Cost and Returns of Garlic Crop (Rs/ ha.)

Particulars Approx. amount of

Cost/Returns (Rs)
Land Preparation 12000
Seed /Planting material cost 9000
Sowing/Planting Cost 5800
Manures and Fertilizers cost 16500
Labour cost (Intercultural operations) 16400
Plant Protection Cost 14800
Irrigation cost 5200
Equipment and farm machinery cost 3200
Rental cost of land 24000
Cost of Harvesting 8000
Cost of marketing 5500
Miscl. Expenditure 3000
Total Cost of Cultivation 123400
Yield 10tonnes/ha
Average selling price of Garlic Rs.40/kg
Total Income / Return 400000
Net Income 276600

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