Analysis of Irrigation Challenges for Mechanized Garlic Cultivation in South Korea

<b><sc>Abstract.</sc></b> Korea and the United States show significant differences in the mechanization of garlic cultivation. Korean farms, predominantly smaller than 0.3 hectares, depend heavily on manual labor, achieving only 30–40% mechanization, while U.S. farms, operating at 10–50 hectares, are highly mechanized across all farming stages. Labor costs constitute about 50% of garlic production costs in Korea, compared to lower, machinery-focused expenses in the U.S. In Korea, plastic mulch is essential for maintaining soil moisture and temperature but creates barriers to mechanization due to the lack of precise seeding and stem guidance technology. Experimental observations indicated that without plastic mulch, soil temperature at 10 cm depth remained above 0°C, and soil moisture without mulch was 15% lower than with mulch. Therefore, eliminating plastic mulch requires precise irrigation management to stabilize soil conditions, offering a pathway to enhance mechanization and reduce labor dependency in Korean garlic farming.