The main aim of this review is to provide an overview of the garlic crop productivity and its
production management requirements like soil, climate and fertilization in general and specifically
in Ethiopia, comparing them with current research trends and to indicate future benefits of soil
nutrient management investigations and their importance for agronomic and cultural practices.
This paper reviewed that application of balanced nutrients under optimum moisture availability
in different soil types is an important crop management strategy, which may help maximizing crop
yield and quality. Also, lack of optimum nutrients and moisture in the soil has been the major
bottlenecks of garlic production and productivity; since the crop has a very shallow root system
that requires frequent irrigation and fertilization with different types of fertilizers under various
soil types. Low soil fertility is one of the principal and pervasive constraints to garlic production
in Ethiopia; thus, there are differences among soil types in yielding ability under different nutrients
and soil characteristics. Most smallholder farmers in Ethiopia appreciate the value of fertilizers,
but they are seldom able to apply them at the recommended rates and at the appropriate time
according to the soil characteristics. These are because of high cost, lack of credit, delivery delays,
and low and variable returns. In addition, the traditional organic inputs, crop residues and animal
manures, identified that it cannot meet crop nutrient demand over large areas because of the
limited quantities available, the low nutrient content of the materials, and the high labor demands
for processing and application. However, there was felt that could exist an opportunity to increase
garlic crop yields through identification/selection of soil type and balanced nutrients application
or searching for other nutrients sources beyond Urea and Diammonium phosphate especially in
Ethiopian condition. Therefore, the integrated use of both the organic and inorganic fertilizers
continuum inputs was felt the best option to increase both yield potential and quality of garlic crop
and environment-friendly sustainable farming systems and increase of profit margins for growers.