Efecto de tamaño del bulbo/bulbillo y densidad de plantación en la emergencia, rendimiento y calidad de ajo (Allium sativum L.) Effect of propagule size and plant density on seedling emergence, yield and quality of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

The production and quality of garlic (Allium sativum L.) depend on agronomics management, physiological and sanitary characteristics of bulbs or bulbils used at sowing, and economic re- sources. The objective of this assay was to evaluate the effects of garlic bulb and bulbil sizes, and of plant density, on seedling emergence, and garlic bulb yield and quality cv. Taiwan. The garlic bulbs and bulbils classified and selected by size were made from Extra Flor, Gigante and Jumbo garlic bulbs. They were sown at three plant den- sities (333000, 285710 and 250000 plants/ha) in a split plot experi- mental design. During garlic growth, the percentage of emergence, garlic bulb yield and garlic quality (measured by bulb size) were eval- uated. Plant density affected garlic bulb yield significantly. There was greater seedling emergence and quality of bulbs and bulbils when bulb size increased, at the lowest densities. The effects of large or middle size garlic bulbs occurred at 16 days from seedlings emer- gence. Largest bulb and bulbil sizes increased garlic bulb yield (15.5 t/ha) and quality (15.8 t/ha), as Jumbo or Super Jumbo garlic bulb size. The Extra Gigante garlic bulbs relatively contributed the most to garlic bulb quality by size (15.5 t/ha) to medium and high popula- tion densities. However, the best quality of the bulbs Extra Gigante, Jumbo or Super Jumbo depended on the lower plant density, large bulbs, and large or middle bulbil size.