Crop: Allium sativum L. (Garlic)
Long keeping garlic. The cloves are medium but in well prepared soil they can grow large. It consists of 6-8 whitish-yellow cloves. Its specialty is its high oil content, almost sticks when cutting. Very long keeper, in case harvest is done in the middle of summer, we will get hard cloves that can be eaten in the spring of next year.
It develops bulbils on the top of approx. 50 cm in high stems, which first are curled and then straightened. It can be propagated from these bulbils by sowing them 4-5 cm deep in March or late September. The plants propagated in this way will not produce seed stalks in the first year, they will produce a nice round, clove-free garlic, which can be consumed in the same way as ‘normal’ cloves. If these round garlics are not harvested, in the second year after overwintering, the garlic head will develop cloves.
Cultivation System: low-input, organic conditions.
Geographical Information
Country: Romania
The landrace was collected in Székelyudvarhely (Romania), where individual farmers are growing it. It was introduced to Hungary (Markóc) 19 years ago.
Farmer(s) description:
The landrace is cultivated by several farmers and gardeners in the original and Markóc region as well.
Propagation system: Clonal
Multiplication procedures and consequences on landrace diversity:The landrace is vegetatively multiplied; only healthy cloves are planted, or as previously mentioned, bulbils can be used as propagation material.
Management plan existence:There is no management plan for this landrace
Added Values
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Others (e.g. commercial/geographical brands or special traits):The high oil content improves the storability of this garlic landrace and might have an impact on the nutritional value as well (not investigated).
The family who introduced and some people who received it, will maintain the landrace due to its very good quality and long keeping characteristic.
The landrace is accessible in the region via informal seed exchange.
Case study prepared by The Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), Hungary.
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