Effect of Pre-Sowing Treatments on Cloves Germination and Bulb Yield and Quality of Garlic Plants

This work is aimed to evaluate the pre-sowing treatments (i.e., black net sheading, cooling at 5oC for 48 hr.,soaking in seaweed extract at 2g-1 and GA3 20 ppm compared to the control) on cloves germination and growth, bulb yield and bulb quality during the two growing seasons.The obtained results showed that the data confirmed that all garlic growth parameters significant and/or highly significant affected by all clove germination stimulants after 120 and 210 days of sowing in both seasons.Garlic plants that treated with seaweed extract at 2g-1 recorded the highest plant height, leaves fresh weight, plant fresh and dry weight in both seasons.The highest leaves number/plant and leaves content of total chlorophylls was found in plants that subjected to cooling at 5oC in both seasons.All tested germination stimulants superior the control treatment increase all yield traits in both seasons.Garlic cloves that treated with GA3 had the highest neck thickness,bulb length and bulb weight in both seasons. Cloves that covered with black net recorded the highest bulb diameter and bulb yield in both seasons. Garlic cloves that subjected to 5oC of cooling had the highest shoot fresh weight, one bulb weight, number of cloves/bulb and the highest total cloves weight/bulb in both seasons.The highest bulb diameter was found in cloves that covered with black net while,the highest bulb length was found in garlic cloves that treated with GA3 in the first and second seasons.Also,the highest average of clove weight was found in cloves that treated with seaweed extract during both seasons