GARLIC (Allium sativum L.) AS A SOURCE OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

Abstract

The paper considers the problem of garlic enrichment by essential elements. A comparative analysis of garlic bulbs grown in different climatic conditions and obtained in the experiment with root and leaf top dressing by Gematranol and selenites of sodium, potassium and zinc on the content of germanium and selenium was carried out. The investigations show that the concentration of germanium in 20 samples of two forms of 7 cultivars of winter garlic and 3 cultivars of spring garlic, grown up in different soil-climatic conditions (in Voronezh, Moscow, Tver regions and also in mountain conditions of the People's Republic of China) is very low and does not exceed 0.0042 mcg/g. It is found that leaf top dressing of winter garlic with Germatranol at a concentration of 0.15 g/l leads to an increase in the concentration of germanium in the tissues of bulbs to 0.02 mcg/g. The content of selenium in garlic bulbs depends on the place of plant cultivation, method of selenite application, and form of selenite. The greatest efficiency is observed when use is made of potassium selenite and sodium selenite with foliar top dressing, which allow one to obtain up to 0.47-0.58 micrograms of selenium per gram of dry matter.

Keywords

• Allium sativum L