Gyeongbuk Agricultural Research and Extension Services Must Strive for 'Jua Management' to Produce High-Quality Organic Garlic Seedlings

Organic Agriculture Research Institute Presents Bud Management Methods for Jonggu Production

Garlic seed storage appearance.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] The Gyeongbuk Provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services has urged organic garlic farmers to ensure that seed cloves are not damaged by pests during storage for seed renewal.

When seed cloves are continuously used in organic garlic cultivation, they become infected with viruses and pests, gradually reducing yield. By periodically renewing seed cloves through clove cultivation, virus density can be lowered and yield increased.

Additionally, clove cultivation is economical as it reduces seed clove costs, which account for about 30% of production costs, by approximately 70%, and produces garlic with high marketability.

Generally, clove cultivation involves harvesting cloves from healthy plants with good growth and no pests, cutting the cloves as long as possible before garlic harvest, hanging them to cure.

Curing refers to a series of physiological changes that allow the seed to mature, undergo dormancy, and be able to germinate.

Once the cloves are sufficiently dried, it is best to cut the base of the flower stalk, place them in mesh bags in their sheath state, and store them in a well-ventilated, cool place for drying.

The sheath refers to the scale-like pieces that wrap the base of the flower at the end of the plant’s flower stalk.

The Organic Agriculture Research Institute stated that to produce high-quality seed cloves, efforts must be made to prevent pests and diseases during storage, and thorough pest control is essential to safely store cloves and reduce damage.

Shin Yongseup, Director of the Provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services, said, “Unlike other crops, seed clove costs account for about 30% of total production costs in garlic. To prevent pest damage during storage, thorough management is most important. We will continue to strive to increase farmers’ income by first researching difficulties faced in the agricultural field.”