Assessment of foliar spray of urea and zinc sulphate on garlic (Allium sativum L.) yield and economic returns in Kaithal, Haryana

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a valuable spice and medicinal crop extensively cultivated in India, including the state of Haryana. However, its productivity often falls short of potential, largely due to suboptimal nutrient management strategies. This on-farm trial, conducted in Kaithal, Haryana over two consecutive Rabi seasons, 2022–23 and 2023–24, aimed to evaluate the efficacy of supplemental foliar nutrition on garlic performance. The study compared the conventional farmer practice (FP), involving a basal application of N:P:K at 30:20:10 kg/acre, with an improved practice (IP) that supplemented the FP with three foliar sprays of Urea (1.5%) and Zinc Sulphate (ZnSO4 21% grade) at 0.5% concentration, applied at 30, 45, and 60 days after planting (DAP). The pooled results from the two seasons demonstrated a statistically significant improvement under the improved practice. Garlic bulb yield increased from an average of 12060 kg/ha under FP to 13325 kg/ha under IP, representing a 10.5% increase. Correspondingly, average net returns rose from ¹ 174,036/ha to ¹ 200,925/ha, and the benefit-cost (B:C) ratio improved from 1.68 to 1.90. Furthermore, significant enhancements were observed in bulb size, weight, length, and breadth under the foliar nutrition regime. Based on two years of field data, this study concludes, that supplementing basal fertilization with timely foliar applications of urea and zinc sulphate is an effective strategy for enhancing garlic productivity and profitability for farmers in the Kaithal region of Haryana.