Resistant, resilient and long storing garlic varieties for organic farming systems and markets

Project Overview

OW17-024
Project Type: Professional + Producer
Funds awarded in 2017: $49,971.00
Projected End Date: 10/31/2020
Grant Recipient: Oregon State University
Region: Western
State: Oregon
Principal Investigator:
Dr. ALEXANDRA STONE
Oregon State University

Information Products

Commodities

  • Vegetables: garlic

Practices

  • Crop Production: varieties and cultivars
  • Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research, participatory research
  • Pest Management: genetic resistance
  • Production Systems: organic agriculture

    Proposal abstract:

    Garlic is an important crop for organic vegetable growers and seed companies in Oregon and California. Garlic grows during the wet season
    (planted October, harvested July) so is a crop that can be grown even with increasingly unreliable late season water availability. Garlic rust
    became a significant problem in California in 1998, reducing yields by up to 50% and soluble solids by 15%. California organic farms control
    rust through spatial rotation, sanitation, and marginally effective sulfur applications; rust reduces yields there by 25-50%. Rust was sporadic
    in Oregon before 2010 but now reduces yields by up to 40%. Fusarium basal rot is a significant disease in California. While less important
    in cooler Oregon, 10-20% damage was observed in Oregon fields in 2014 and 2015. Storage losses are also significant. If organic garlic is to
    increase its market share, garlic varieties suited to this region with resistance/resilience to garlic rust and other diseases and problems as
    well as long storage potential must be identified.
    Seed savers, garlic farmers, and garlic seed producers (Garlicana, Deerfield) have been evaluating garlic germplasm in this region. While
    garlic primarily reproduces clonally/asexually, some types reproduce by true seed/sexually; Garlicana and Deerfield have been growing and
    selecting garlic from true seed for regional performance but not disease resistance. Variety trials were conducted in CA in the 1990s to
    identify rust resistant garlic varieties but no significant resistance was identified in the few varieties tested. Research in Spain and Colorado
    identified rust resistance and Wisconsin research identified Fusarium basal rot resistance in USDA NPGS garlic germplasm; rust resistance
    was identified in varieties derived from seed of NPGS germplasm. Some farmers increase economic value by processing garlic into braids,
    pestos, powders and salts; varieties differ in their suitabiity for these uses.
    The goals of this project are to:
    1: Identify and collect garlic varieties/germplasm with organic market, disease resistance, and long storage potential.
    2: Engage farmers, seed growers, and buyers in the development of garlic evaluation criteria for diverse uses and markets.
    3: Screen garlic varieties/germplasm for disease resistance and other evaluation criteria developed in Objective 2.
    4: Engage project and other organic garlic farmers and buyers witih project findings.
    Seed stock of at least 100 garlic varieties/accessions will be accessed from:
    1. USDA NPGS (National Plant Germplasm System); 2. Deerfield Farm (tissue-culture and true-seed); 3. Garlicana (clonal and true-seed);
    4. Other seed/farm sources, and 5. Seed Savers Exchange. Through discussions at meeting one (and pre-meeting surveys of farmers and
    buyers), garlic uses, markets, and evaluation criteria will be described.
    Varieties will be evaluated in replicated experiments at Phil Foster Ranch, CA and two locations in western Oregon. Disease severity and
    other measurements/photos will be taken as determined by the evaluation criteria. Bulbs and cloves will be weighed and photographed.
    Garlic will be stored and percent rotten, sprouted, and desiccated bulbs will be evaluated monthly.
    Project farmers will interact with and taste garlic and discuss project findings at three winter meetings. All participants will complete
    pre-project survey (garlic currently grown, uses, markets, problems). Meeting 1: Farmers will share garlic varieties and processed products
    and describe varieties, uses, markets, and problems. Rust, Fusarium basal rot and other garlic problems will be discussed. Evaluation
    criteria will be generated. Meetings 2 and 3: All participants will receive research report before meeting for discussion at meeting. Highest
    performing varieties from field trials will be available for evaluation. Farmers will take home varieties of interest to grow/evaluate. In
    meeting 3, project will be evaluated and post-project survey completed.
    Other farmers/buyers will interact with varieties and learn about results through booths, tastings, presentations and workshops: North
    Willamette Horticultural Society (January 2019, 2020); Small Farm Conference (February 2019, 2020); Organic Seed Conference
    (February 2010); Organicology (February 2019); Ecofarm in California (January 2020); Variety Showcase
    (https://culinarybreedingnetwork.wordpress.com, 2019, 2020). A report including photos and descriptions of high performing varieties
    and an article on the diagnosis and management of diseases and other problems will be published to oregonvegetables.com. An article
    describing best-performing varieties will be published through eOrganic (http://articles.extension.org/organic_production) for a broader
    audience.
    We anticipate that farmers will increase their understanding of garlic varieties and their uses, markets and performance, as well as their
    knowledge of garlic problems and their management. They will adopt new garlic cultivars to improve performance and/or add
    uses/markets. Project farmers will answer pre- and post-project surveys to assess changes in knowledge/problems/practices/intentions.
    ‘Clickers’ will be used during presentations to gather impact on farmer knowledge/problems/practices/intentions. Farmer contact
    information will be collected at booths/workshops; publications and a survey will be sent to them to assess publication utility and changes
    in knowledge/practices/intentions. WSARE workshop evaluation forms will be completed by workshop participants.
    Rust and Fusarium basal rot resistant varieties should increase garlic yield, quality, and profitability, thereby increasing economic
    sustainability. If garlic was higher yielding, more profitable, and long storing, acreage could grow in California and it could become a
    wholesale crop in Oregon. Overwintering garlic can be grown dryland in areas of increasingly unreliable late summer water availability,
    increasing farm climate resilience and environmental sustainability. While this project is primarily directed at organic farmers as they are
    currently unable to control rust and organic fungicides are not very effective, conventional farmers are seeking resistant varieties to reduce
    fungicide applications; reducing fungicide applications on organic and conventional farms will improve economic and environmental
    sustainability. Improving farm profitability increases famer quality of life and the social sustainability of agriculture.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    Objective 1: Identify and collect garlic varieties/germplasm with organic market, disease resistance, and long storage potential
    Objective 2: Engage farmers, seed growers, and buyers in the development of garlic evaluation criteria for diverse uses and markets
    Objective 3: Screen garlic varieties/germplasm for disease resistance and other evaluation criteria developed in Objective 2.
    Objective 4: Engage project and other organic garlic farmers and buyers witih project findings.
    Objective 1: Identify and collect garlic varieties/germplasm with organic market, disease resistance, and storage potential
    Seed stock of at least 100 garlic varieties/accessions will be accessed from:
    1. NPGS (National Plant Germplasm System)
    2. Deerfield Farm (http://www.deerfieldfarmgarlic.com/aboutus.html; tissue-cultured garlic seed; project farmer Fred Crowe)
    3. Garlicana (garlicana.com; clonal and true seed; project farmer Avram Drucker)
    4. Other commercial seed/farm sources
    5. Seed Savers Exchange
    Objective 2: Engage farmers, seed growers, and buyers in the development of garlic evaluation criteria for diverse uses and markets
    Through discussions at winter meeting one (and pre-meeting surveys of farmers/buyers unable to attend meetings), we will identify garlic
    uses and markets and develop garlic evaluation criteria specific to each. Potential novel uses: braids, powders, salts, ferments, pestos.
    Objective 3: Screen garlic varieties/germplasm for disease resistance and other evaluation criteria developed in Objective 2.
    Field Trials:
    Varieties of sufficient seed quantity will be grown in replicated complete block (5 reps) experiments conducted at Phil Foster Ranch, San
    Juan Bautista CA; the OSU vegetable research farm, Corvallis OR; and Gathering Together Farm, Philomath, OR (all with history of rust;
    two with history of Fusarium basal rot). Garlic will be planted October 2017 and 2018 at planting densities typical of the farming system.
    Varieties of insufficient clove quantity will be planted in one or all field trials as appropriate. Bulbils/true seeds will be greenhouse-grown
    for 4-6 weeks before field planting; these will not grow to full size or final phenotype during project, but will be screened for disease
    resistance.
    In-season and harvest measurements: Rust severity (scale of 1-9) will be evaluated every 10 days after disease onset; Fusarium basal rot will
    be rated (scale 1-5) at harvest. Other measurements/photos (e.g. leaf/scape variables) will be taken as determined by the evaluation criteria.
    Bulb and clove weight will be measured at harvest for all varieties grown from full size cloves. Photos will be taken of bulbs and cloves.
    Storage measurements: Garlic subsamples will be stored in bins and percent rotten, sprouted, and desiccated bulbs will be evaluated
    monthly.
    Processing: As dictated by farmer-identified uses and markets and staff availability, high performing varieties may be processed into
    powders, salts, braids, or pestos for sampling at winter meetings.
    Objective 4: Engage organic garlic growers and buyers in project findings. See Educational Outreach and Materials sections below.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.