The experiment was conducted in the field of Plant Pathology Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur during robi 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 cropping seasons. There were 9 treatments viz. T₁= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Potassium (MP fertilizer @2% water solution), T₂= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Phosphorus (TSP fertilizer @2% water solution), T₃= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Zinc (ZnSO₄ fertilizer @1% water solution), T₄= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Silicon (Silica gel @2% water solution), T₅= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Boron (Boro fertilizer @1% water solution) T₆= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Calcium (CaSO₄ fertilizer @1% water solution), T₇= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Manganese (MnSO₄ fertilizer @ 1% water solution), T₈= Spray in the furrow soil during transplanting + Foliar spray of Copper (CuSO₄ @1% water solution) and T₉= Control (only used recommended dose of fertilizers). The unit plot size was 2 m x 2.5m. RCB design was followed with 3 replications. The variety BARI Rashun-1 was used. The treatments were applied four times viz. 1^st application at the time of seedling transplanting, 2^nd application 40-45 days after seedling transplanting, 3^rd application 15 days after 2^nd application and 4^th application 15 days after 3^rd application. Standard cultivation recommended by BARI was followed to grow garlic 16. During crop season necessary weeding, irrigation and other intercultural operations were done as per recommendation of the crop.

Average plant height of onion under control was 27.27 cm plant^-1 in the first year, 44.67 cm plant^-1 in the second year and 39.33 cm plant^-1 in the third year (Table 1). The plant height was increased to 31.73-38.80 cm plant^-1 in the first year, 47.47-57.00 cm plant^-1 in the second year and 42.00-54.00 cm plant^-1 in the third year due to soil and foliar application of different plant nutrients. In the first year, soli and foliar application TSP fertilizer, MP fertilizer and Silica gel gave higher plant height followed by ZnSO₄ fertilizer and MnSO₄ fertilizer and (Table 1). Lower increased of plant height over control was recorded from the treatment CuSO₄ followed by CaSO₄ fertilizer and Boron fertilizer. In the second year, the highest plant height was recored from MP fertilizer treatment followed by TSP fertilizer, Silica gel, ZnSO₄ fertilizer, MnSO₄ fertilizer and CaSO₄ fertilizer (Table 1). The least effective treatment in increasing of plant over control was recorded from CuSO₄ followed by Boron fertilizer treatment. In the third year, the all the treatment gave significantly higher plant height compared to control except CuSO₄ where the plant height was lower than other treatment (Table 1).

In first year, the plant weight of garlic was 8.20 g plant^-1 under control. It increased to 10.27-15.80 g plant^-1 due to soil and foliar application of different nutrients (Table 1). Soil and foliar application of TSP fertilizer, MP fertilizer and Silica gel gave higher plant height followed ZnSO₄ fertilizer treatment. The least effective treatment to increase plant weight was CuSO₄ followed by and CaSO₄ fertilizer_, Boron fertilizer and MnSO₄ treatments. In second year, the lowest plant weight of onion was 16.93 g plant^-1 recorded in the control. Soil and foliar application of MP fertilizer gave the highest plant weight 22.53 g plant^-1 followed by the TSP fertilizer,ZnSO₄ fertilizer, CaSO₄ fertilizer, Silica gel and MnSO₄ treatments where the plant weight was 21.87, 21.47, 21.40, 20.73 and 19.87 g plant^-1, respectively (Table 1). In third year, the lowest plant weight of onion was 14.20 g plant^-1 recorded in the control. Soil and foliar application of MP fertilizer, TSP fertilizer, Silica gel and ZnSO₄ fertilizer gave higher plant height followed by Boro fertilizer, CaSO₄ and MnSO₄ treatments (Table 1). In all the years the least effective treatment was CuSO₄ treatment (Table 1).

Soil and foliar application of different plant nutrients showed positive effects on root growth of garlic as compared to control (Table 2). In first year, higher root length 8.67 cm and 8.60 was recorded from Silica gel and MP fertilizer treatments followed by MnSO₄ fertilizer, TSP fertilizer, Boron fertilizer, CaSO₄ fertilizer and ZnSO₄ where the root length was 7.80, 7.73, 7.47, 7.27 and 7.20 cm, respectively and the minimum root length 6.10 cm was recorded from control (Table 2). In the second and third years, all the treatments gave significantly higher root length over control except CuSO₄ wher root length was significantly lower than other treatments (Table 2). In all years the least effective treatment was CuSO₄ followed by CaSO₄ (Table 2). Root weight under control was 0.53, 1.20 and 1.57 g/plant in the first year, second year and third year, respectively. The root weight was increase to 0.73-1.33, 1.53-1.87 and 1.83-2.93 g/plant in the first year, second year and third year, respectively due application of different treatments (Table 2).

In all the years, the incidence of tip burn of garlic was reduced significantly over control due to soil and foliar application with different plant nutrients compared to control (Table 3). In the first year, application of MP fertilizer gave the lowest tip-burn incidence 33.33% followed by Silica gel, TSP fertilizer, MnSO₄ fertilizer, ZnSO₄ fertilizer and Boron fertilizer treatments where the tip-burn incidence was 35.00%, 40.00%, 43.33%, 46.67%, and 46.67%, respectively (Table 3). Application of CuSO₄ gave higher 53.33% tip burn incidence followed by CaSO₄ with 51.67% tip burn incidence, respectively. The highest tip-burn incidence 71.67% was recorded in control treatment. Application of MP fertilizer reduced 53.50% tip-burn incidence followed by the application of Silica gel, TSP fertilizer, MnSO₄ fertilizer, ZnSO₄ fertilizer and Boron fertilizer treatments where the reduction was 51.16%, 44.19%, 39.53%, 34.88% and 34.88%, respectively compared to control. In the second year, all the treatments significantly reduced tip-burn incidence compared to control except CuSO₄ where the tip burn incidence was 48.33% which was significantly higher than other treatments (Table 3). The highest tip burn incidence 58.33% was recoded in control. Application of TSP fertilizer reduced 60.00% tip-burn incidence followed by MP fertilizer, Silica gel, CaSO₄ fertilizer, ZnSO₄, MnSO₄ and Boron fertilizer where the reduction of tip-burn incidence of garlic was 57.15%, 57.15%, 57.15%, 54.28%, 51.43% and 51.43%, respectively compared to control. More or less similar trend was also observed in the third year. The highest tip burn incidence 74.33% was reorded from control treatment. Tip burn incidence drastically reduced to 39.67%-53.33% due to application different treatments. Application of MP fertilizer reduced 46.63% tip-burn incidence followed by and TSP fertilizer, Silica gel, MnSO₄, ZnSO₄, Boron fertilizer and CaSO₄ fertilizer where the reduction of tip-burn incidence of garlic was 45.74%, 45.28%, 45.28%, 44.40%, 38.56% and 35.42%, respectively compared to control (Table 3).

All the treatments significantly reduced purple blotch disease severity compared to control during three consecutive years. In the first year all the treatments significantly reduced the purple blotch disease severity than control (Table 4). Soil and foliar application of Application of Silica gel reduced 59.66% purple blotch disease severity compared to control followed by TSP fertilizer, MP fertilizer, ZnSO₄ fertilizer, MnSO₄ fertilizer, Boron fertilizer, CaSO₄ fertilizer and CuSO₄treatments where the reduction of disease severity was 59.09%, 57.95%, 57.39%, 53.98%, 53.98% and 52.84%, respectively compared to control (Table 4). The highest purple blotch disease severity 58.67% was observed in control treatment. More or less similer trend of reduction of purple disease severity was observed in the second and third year’s trials. In the second year, all the treatments significantly reduced purple blotch disease severity compared to control except CuSO₄ where the purple blotch disease severity wassignificantly higher than other treatments. The highest purple blotch disease severity 57.33% was observed in control treatment. Application of MP fertilizer and TSP fertilizer reduced 58.14% purple blotch disease severity compared to control followed by the application of ZnSO_4, Silica gel, Boron fertilizer, MnSO₄ and CaSO₄ treatments where the reduction was 55.82%, 54.65%, 53.48%, 53.48% and 52.33%, respectively than control. In the third year, application of MP fertilizer reduced 50.00% disease severity followed by the application of TSP fertilizer, Silica gel, ZnSO₄,CaSO₄, MnSO₄ and Boron fertilizer treatments where the reduction was 48.78%, 48.21%, 47.63%, 47.02%, 45.84% and 44.64%, respectively compared to control. The highest purple blotch disease severity 56.00% was observed in control treatment. In all the years the least effective treatment in reduction of purple disease severity was CuSO₄ treatment.

In all the years, soil and foliar application of different plant nutrientsgave signicantly higher yield of garlic (Table 5). In first year, the lowest yield of 3.16 t/ha was found under control. The yield was increased to 4.20-6.42 t/ha due to application of different treatments. Soil and foliar application of Silica gel gave the highest yield 6.42 tha^-1 followed by the application of MP fertilizer, TSP fertilizer, ZnSO₄ fertilizer, MnSO₄ fertilizer and Boro fertilizer where the yield was 5.28, 5.28, 5.20, 5.19 and 4.75 tha^-1, respectively. Application of CuSO₄ gave lower yield 4.18 tha^-1 followed by the application of CaSO₄ where the yield was 4.20 tha^-1. The maximum yield increased 50.78% compared to control was obtained by Silica gel followed by MP fertilizer, TSP fertilizer, ZnSO₄ fertilizer, MnSO₄ fertilizer and Boro fertilizer where the yield was 40.15%, 40.15%, 39.23%, 39.11% and 33.47%, respectively higher than control (Table 4). The lowest increase was achieved with CuSO₄ followed by CaSO₄ where yield was 24.40% and 24.76%, respectively higher than control. In the 2^nd year, average yield of garlic was 4.22 t/ha under control and 4.85 to 6.77 t/ha under treated plots. All the treatments gave significantly higher yield of garlic than control exceptCuSO₄ treatment where the yield was significantly lower than other treatments. Application of MP fertilizer gave the 37.67% higher yield compared to control which was followed by the application TSP fertilizer, Silica gel, Boron fertilizer, ZnSO₄ fertilizer,MnSO₄ fertilizerand CaSO₄ fertilizer where the yield was 34.78%, 34.78%, 32.59%, 29.19%, 29.19% and 29.19%, respectively higher than control (Table 5). In the 3^rd year, the highest yield was 7.15 tha^-1 obtained with the application of MP fertilizer followed by the application of TSP fertilizer, Silica gel_, Boron fertilizer, ZnSO_4, MnSO4andCaSO₄ where the yield was 6.79, 6.69, 6.68, 6.61, 6.51 and 6.45 tha^-1. The lowest yield of garlic 4.72 tha^-1 was recorded in control treatment which was followed by CuSO₄ with the yield of 5.35 tha^-1.Application of MP fertilizer gave the 33.98% higher yield compared to control which was followed by the application TSP fertilizer, Silica gel_, Boron fertilizer, ZnSO_4, MnSO4andCaSO₄ where the yield was 30.48%, 29.45%, 29.34%, 28.59%, 27.50% and 26.82%, respectively higher than control (Table 5).

From this study it is observed that application different plant nutrient have significant effect on plant growth, decreased purple blotch diseases severity and tip burn incidence as well as increase yield of garlic. Among the nutrients MP fertilizer, TSP fertilizer, ZnSO_4, Silica gel, Boron fertilizer and CaSO₄ were performed better than other treatments for reducing purple blotch disease severity, tip-burn and increasing plant growth as well as yield of garlic. Different workers reported that the use of fertilizers produces a more direct means of using nutrients to reduce the severity of many diseases 159192021. Dordas 22 reported that potassium fertilization can reduce the intensity of several infectious diseases of obligate and facultative parasites. A number of studies have shown that application Potassium, Phosphorus, Boron, Zinc, Calcium, Silicon and Manganese can reduce fungal, bacterial and viral diseases of many crops 13232425262728293031323334. Agrios 12 reported that plant nutrients are important for growth and development of plants and also microorganisms and also important factors in disease control.