Onions and Allied Crops: Volume II: Agronomy Biotic Interactions PDF

INTRODUCTION

The edible alliums are of major economic and dietary importance in all parts of the world. The common onion (A. cepa) and garlic (A. sativum) are grown, traded and consumed in most countries (Tables 1 to 3). Because of their economic importance, great efforts have been made in the selection and breeding of locally adapted cultivars, and in the development of cultural techniques. As a result these crops can be cultivated from the tropics to subarctic regions. Other edible alliums are more localized in economic significance although they are still of great importance.

It is estimated that the value of the world production of bulb onions alone approaches $5 billion annually, more than 90% of which is consumed within the countries of production. Bulb onions are an easily transportable commodity and between $400 and $500 millions worth (at 1984 prices) are traded internationally each year. The crop is a major export earner for some economies. In addition, the common onion is also an important salad crop when eaten green (scallions). Statistics on this crop are harder to come by, but by way of example, in the U.K., the monetary value of this crop is approximately 65% of that of the dry bulb crop. Leeks (A. ampeloprasum) are a valuable crop in Europe (Table 4). Although total European production is well below that for bulb onions, the price per unit weight of leeks is higher than for bulb onions, and in monetary terms the value of the leek crop approaches that of the dry bulb onion crop. Several other alliums are of major economic importance in far eastern countries (Table 5). The annual production of the Japanese bunching onion (A. fistulosum) in Japan is approximately 50% of that for dry bulb common onions. However the mean wholesale prices (yen per kilogram obtained during the period January 1983 to December 1985 in Tokyo for common onion, Japanese bunching onion, Chinese chive (A. tuberosum), and rakkyo (A. chinense), respectively, were 93, 216, 344 and 271. 6 Thus the monetary value of the Japanese bunching onion crop is probably similar to that of the common bulb onion in Japan. Japanese bunching onion, Chinese chive, and rakkyo are also important crops in China. 5 Hence, the alliaceous crops are clearly a major agricultural asset and have a great impact on many economies.

Author: H.D. Rabinowitch