Phosphate fertilization increases garlic yield, but high doses of phosphorus (P) may cause zinc deficiency (Zn) in plants, mainly when the soil presents low contents of this micronutrient. This paper aimed to verify the effect of P and Zn interaction in the soil on the development and yield of garlic bulbs ("Roxo Pérola de Caçador" cultivar). Three experiments were carried out under screened greenhouse conditions, using three soils of different texture and 17 kg pots. They had a randomized factorial block design, 4 doses of P (0, 100, 200 and 400 mg dm-3 ), 4 doses of Zn (0, 2,5, 5,0 and 10 mg dm-3), both applied as ZnSO4.7H2O, and three replications. Garlic bulb development and yield were influenced by doses of P and Zn; there was no interaction between these nutrients. For sand, loamy and clayey soils, the best doses of P were 190, 400 and 400 mg dm-3 whereas for Zn, they were 2.2, 6.5 and 5.1 mg dm-3, respectively.
Nutrients; fertilization; Allium sativum L.
