Two experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions, with the objective of studying the influence of N x K interaction on vernalizated garlic (Allium sativum L.) grown in 50 kg pots. Both experiments were in factorial 4 x 4: (a) one in 1993 with four potassium levels in the sowing (original, 4%, 8% and 16% of CEC) and four levels of nitrogen in covering (40, 80, 160 and 320 kg.ha-1) applied half at 30 and the remaining at 50 days after seed emergency (DAE); (b) the other in 1994, with four potassium levels and four nitrogen levels, both splitted and applied in covering. At 70 DAE two plants per pot were collected for nutritional diagnosis. The results indicated that the leaf concentration of nitrogen was slightly reduced by K fertilization applied in the sowing or in covering. However, there were increases in the potassium concentration with the nitrogen concentration in the leaves; the chlorophyll concentration increased with the potassium levels in the leaves, because of variations in K fertilizer rates applied in the sowing, and with the nitrogen rates in covering; increases in N fertilizer rates in covering enhanced the pseudogrowing incidence in the culture, that was not affected by K fertilization in the sowing or in covering; the bulb yield was slightly increased by nitrogen fertilization in covering.
Allium sativum L.; vernalizated garlic; pseudogrowing; potassic fertilization; nitrogen fertilization
