Abstract:

More than 50 species of the genus Allium have been cultivated worldwide for sustenance, flavor, and medicinal purposes, as well as for ornamentals, from the tropics to the temperate zone. In most alliums, intact tissues contain odorless, nonvolatile sulfur-containing molecules that upon cells' disruption break down enzymatically to form volatile flavor compounds that are responsible for the characteristic odor and taste of these species. The genetic makeup, photoperiod, and both storage and growth temperatures are the main factors controlling bulbing and florogenesis in these plant species. The most common Allium food crops are bulb onion garlic, leek, shallot, chives, and Welsh onion. Most fertile cultivated alliums are raised from seed, transplants, or sets. However, some sterile species, such as garlic, elephant garlic, rocambole tree onion, topsetting onions, and shallot are propagated vegetatively. During millennia of cultivation, no natural co-evolution with biotic and abiotic agents has taken place. Hence, most cultivated alliums lack many important traits, including resistance to pests and environmental stresses. Current efforts and employment of both classical and novel tools for genetic and plant physiology studies are expected to accelerate improvements in terms of distribution, yield, and quality of these important crops. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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