TY - JOUR AU - Hanson, Blaine R. AU - May, Don AU - Voss, Ronald E. AU - Cantwell, Marita AU - Rice, Robert H. TI - Garlic in clay loam soil thrives on little irrigation JF - California Agriculture JO - Calif Agr Y1 - 2002/07/01 VL - 56 IS - 4 SP - 128 EP - 132 PB - University of California Agriculture and Nature Resources SN - 0008-0845 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3733/ca.v056n04p128 L3 - 10.3733/ca.v056n04p128 AB - We conducted 4 years of irrigation experiments in garlic on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley to determine appropriate irrigation frequency and cutoff dates as well as the effect of irrigation on yields for crops grown in sandy and clay loam soil. In sandy soil with the moisture content at field capacity prior to the rapid growth stage, yield was strongly dependent on applied water, and weekly irrigation was needed for maximum yield. In clay loam, yield did not depend on applied water because the garlic plants were able to extract sufficient soil moisture to offset deficit irrigation. Irrigation cutoff in both soils should occur by mid-May.