Garlic Quality

Results

Bulb Weight and Quality Characteristics

Variety	Mean Bulb Wt. (g)	Bolters	*Overall Performance	†Ease of Splitting	Remarks
Blanc de la Drome	A 83 S 73	3 -	3 4	5 5	Very large bulbs, better quality from spring planting. Large cloves
Blanc du Connun	A 62 S 52	- -	3 3	5 5	Fairly large bulbs, uneven shape, unattractive. Large cloves.
Fructidor (English)	A 61 S 64	- -	3 4	5 5	Large bulbs, good market variety. Better from spring planting.
Grulurose	A 28 S 43	36 100	3 5	4 4	Average-small size bulbs. Spring planted gave excellent quality.
Scilly strain	A 52 S 46	- -	3 4	5 5	Average size bulbs. Rather similar to Fructidor.
Printanor	A 40 S 39	- 3	3 4	3 3	Average size bulbs: good market quality.
Ail du Nord	A 50 S 48	- 2	3 4	4 4	Better shape from spring planted. Average size.
Moulinin	A 44 S 42	- -	3 4	4 4	Average size. Reasonably uniform.
Rose du Var	A 48 S 45	- -	4 5	1 1	Average size. Good shape & quality. Difficult to separate cloves.
Fructidor (French)	A 42 S 42	- -	3 4	5 5	Very similar to English strain. It is probable that origin is the same.
Turkish strain	A 32	-	2	5	Small - average size. Poor shape, elongated cloves.
Morado (Chile)	A 10	20	1	-	Did not over-winter well. Poor growth.
Morado	A 19	100	2	5	Rather poor shape. Small bulbs.
Star	A 38 S 30	- 5	3 3	4 4	Small to average size bulbs.
Taiwan strain	A 10	-	1	1	Did not over-winter & grow well.

Key: A = Autumn planted. S = Spring planted. *Overall Performance: 1 = very poor, 3 = fair, 5 = excellent.
+Ease of Splitting: 1 = difficult, 5 = easy.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Except for Grulurose and Fructidor there was a tendency to achieve heavier bulbs from the autumn planting. Except for Grulurose and Morado bolting was insignificant. The bolting habit of these two varieties does not detract from their market quality, but on a large scale it may make dressing more difficult.

Although autumn planting tends to give heavier bulbs they are not so attractive or such good quality as those planted in the spring. The plants tended to produce `mother bulbs' which were uneven and the skins often split.

Apart from Morado and the strain from Taiwan all over-wintered well and hardiness was not a problem.

From two years observations there seems little advantage in autumn planting. Spring planted cloves, although tending to be slightly smaller, have a better overall quality.

Eleven varieties were tested for virus by Dr. D. Walkey at N.V.R.S. and virus was found to be present in all of them. After the crop was harvested cloves were sent to N.V.R.S. in the hope that some varieties can be `cleaned up'; this will enable comparisons to be made between plants with and without virus at some future date.

Sufficient stock has now been built up to enable a replicated trial to be planted in 1983/4, when more detailed assessments of some of the more promising varieties can be made.

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