Dynamic Accumulation of Nutritional Elements in Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Cultivars Grown in Brazil

Plant nutrition is an important factor in materializing the potential productivity of crops with an adequate balance among essential nutrients. This study aimed to analyze the accumulation and partitioning of biomass and nutrients in three garlic cultivars cultivated over 2 years in the region of Cerrado, Brazil. Four field trials were conducted using cultivars Chonan and Quitéria (year 1), and Ito and Quitéria (year 2) to analyze the accumulation and partitioning of biomass and nutrients. Dry matter and macro and micronutrient contents were measured in leaves and bulbs over 130 days (Chonan and Quitéria) and 100 days (Ito) of growth. Garlic total dry matter and bulb yield showed a linear increase and ranged from 8.2 to 10.1 Mg ha −1 and from 6.6 to 7.0 Mg ha −1 , respectively. The increase in bulb dry matter was associated with a decrease in leaf dry matter ( r : − 0.35; p potassium > calcium > sulfur > phosphorus > magnesium. Meanwhile, in bulbs, mineral accumulation was in order of nitrogen > phosphorus > potassium > sulfur > calcium > magnesium. Nutrient accumulation in leaves showed a quadratic pattern during vegetative growth, while a constant rate of nutrient accumulation occurred during bulb initiation and development. Leaf boron accumulation peaked at 100 days after planting, and a linear pattern of accumulation was observed for Zn in leaves and bulbs during plant development. No clear differences were detected among garlic cultivars for nutrient accumulation in Cerrado during 2 years of study. A constant nutrient trend during garlic development seemed necessary to sustain a constant increase rate in plant and bulb dry matter.