Microirrigation in onion (Allium cepa) and garlic (A. sativum)-a review

The objective of this paper was to review the microirrigation studies in onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (A. sativum L.) carried out in different parts of the world with special reference to India which is largest producer and consumer of the short-day onion and garlic in the world. Despite of leading producer of both onion and garlic, the productivity in our country is lesser than other countries. Water availability is one of the crucial inputs for productivity. The efforts were made by several organizations to develop and evaluate microirrigation methods and systems to increase the production and productivity of both onion and garlic. The experiments showed that drip irrigation increases yield (15–40%), bulb size and storability of bulbs. The drip irrigation was found to be more effective than sprinkler irrigation. The water saving (30–40%) was higher in drip irrigation with higher use efficiency. Besides, drip irrigation was found beneficial in reduction weed population, disease infection and labour requirement.