Response of garlic (Allium sativum L.) yield and yield components to various irrigation management strategies at central highland of Ethiopia

Garlic is a high value, water sensitive crop that requires precise irrigation management to optimize yield and quality. This study evaluates the effect of deficit irrigation levels (55%, 70%, 85%) and full irrigation (100% ETc) and three furrow irrigation techniques (conventional (CFI), alternative (AFI), fixed (FFI)) on garlic yield and yield components at highlands of Debre Birhan. The experiment was designed with Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in three replications. Irrigation regimes were determined based on combined weather and soil based irrigation scheduling. Result showed that garlic yield and yield components were significantly affected at (P < 0.001) by the combined effect of deficit irrigation and furrow techniques. The maximum bulb yield of 8.2 t ha− 1 (with only 7.8% yield reduction) was found by application of 85% ETc under CFI. However, application of 85% ETc by AFI gave 7.2 t ha− 1 (19% yield loss) with using half water amount, highlight optimal water use strategies. The application of deficit irrigation (55% ETc) significantly reduced bulb yield of 37.5% compared to the full ETc. The highest plant height (68 cm), leaf length (40 cm), bulb diameter (49 mm), leaf area (198 cm2) was observed by application of 100% ETc under CFI. Strong positive correlations were observed between yield and yield components. The finding reveals that 85% ETc regulated deficit irrigation under AFI optimizes water use without compromising yield, establishing an efficient irrigation strategy for sustainable garlic production in water-limited regions.