Determination of the effects of different doses chitosan applications on plant development, yield and storage time in taşköprü garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum L.), in addition the being indispensable food of the kitchen, with its own unique flavor, is used in the treatment of many diseases in Turkish folk medicine since ancient times. Purpose of the study; to reveal the effects of chitosan (1000; 1500 and 2000 ppm) applications on growth parameters, bulb yield and storage time in Taşköprü garlic. For this purpose, garlic was planted on an agricultural land in Uzunkavak village of Taşköprü district of Kastamonu on March 3, 2021. When the garlic reached the stage with 4-5 leaves, chitosan (1000; 1500 and 2000 ppm) was applied from the leaves. Applications were made once for four weeks. Height, diameter and weight of garlic seedlings after application; Leaf length, diameter, weight and number of leaves per plant were measured. Weight, diameter, length, number of cloves of garlic heads harvested in July; The length, diameter, and shell weights of the cloves were measured. In addition, the weight changes of the garlic heads were taken in three-month periods. While stem length increased in K1 and K2 application compared to control, leaf length was higher in K1 application. Stem diameter, leaf diameter, number of leaves per plant, stem fresh leaf weight, and plant fresh weight were lower than the control group. In garlic samples, head weight, diameter and length were adversely affected by chitosan applications within the scope of yield. The lowest head weight was determined in K2, the lowest diameter in K3, and the lowest height in K1 application. The total number of cloves per head was higher in K2 and K3 compared to the control, and lower in K1.Tooth weight was lower in large cloves compared to control, but higher in small cloves in applied groups. The height of the cloves was higher in the K1 and K2 groups and lower in the control group. The tooth diameter is higher in large cloves in K2 compared to the control, and in small cloves in the K2 group, it is lower than the control. The shell weight is low in large cloves in all three treatment groups, and high in small cloves only in the K2 group. The % ash content in the samples was higher than the control in all three applications. Weight changes during the storage period were lower than the control in the I and II periods and higher in the III period. As a result, chitosan applications caused a decrease in growth parameters of garlic seedling, bulb yield and shell weight of cloves, but had a positive effect on yield, dry matter, % ash content and long-term storage conditions in small cloves.