Abstract
ABSTRACT Garlic is a vegetable rich in starch and in aromatic substances; it has high value as a spice and is consumed as a fresh vegetable or in processed products. The garlic market demand has been growing in the last years, and virus-free garlic seed is a technology that can result in better quality products. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of virus-free garlic cultivars (VFGC) grown under high altitude conditions in the Semiarid region of the Northeast of Brazil. Three experiments were conducted in 2018 in Portalegre, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil: the first experiment with first-generation VFGC (G1), the second with second-generation VFGC (G2), and the third with infected cultivars (without clonal cleaning). The experiments were conducted in randomized block experimental design, with four replications. The treatments consisted of five garlic cultivars (Amarante, Branco-Mossoró, Cateto-Roxo, Gravatá, and Hozan). The use of virus-free garlic seeds results in bulbs with larger diameter and higher soluble solid and total solid contents, pungency, and industrial yield, showing that the seed health is important for the quality of garlics for fresh consumption and industrial processing. The cultivars Amarante, Cateto -Roxo, and Hozan had the highest total solid contents; and the cultivar Hozan had the largest bulb diameter and the highest soluble solid contents, pungency, and industrial index. The cultivar Hozan is the most indicated for dehydration due to its higher industrial index. Bulb diameter, pungency, and industrial index presented positive correlations with soluble solids, pungency, and industrial index.
Highlights
Garlic is a vegetable that stands out as one of the main spices used for cooking in the world; it has good flavor and mainly aroma characteristics
The use of virusfree garlic seeds results in bulbs with larger diameter and higher soluble solid and total solid contents, pungency, and industrial yield, showing that the seed health is important for the quality of garlics for fresh consumption and industrial processing
The cultivar Hozan is the most indicated for dehydration due to its higher industrial index
Summary
Garlic is a vegetable that stands out as one of the main spices used for cooking in the world; it has good flavor and mainly aroma characteristics. Most garlic in Brazil is marketed fresh, but the searching for ready products in the last years has increased the marketing of garlic in paste, cream, and in dehydrated, dried powdered, preserved, and encapsulated oil forms (LUCENA et al, 2016). Considering this increasing demand of the consumer market, the use of adequate cultural practices for garlic crops is essential, as well the use of technologies such as the virus-free garlic seeds, which results in high-vigor plants, high bulb yields, and high-quality bulbs regarding health and physiology, and makes the product to reach the market with good quality either for fresh consumption or industrial processing (RESENDE et al, 2013). The pungency and total solid contents are used to evaluate these characteristics and indicate whether a product is more appropriate for fresh consumption or industrial processing (CHITARRA; CHITARRA, 2005)
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