Diseases in bulb crops during storage

Onion and garlic bulbs must be healthy, clean, free from mechanical damage and covered with scales. They should be placed in well-ventilated storage facilities, in bulk or in shallow layers, while maintaining a temperature of 0-2ºC and up to 65% air humidity. Under improper storage conditions, the following diseases develop:

Black rot of onion and garlic - the bulbs soften, their scales dry out and mummify, and a black powdery mass forms between them.

Speckled soft rot of onion - the tissues around the neck soften and sink. When cut, it can be seen that some of the inner scales have rotted, appear boiled and emit an unpleasant odor.

Neck rot of onion - the rot starts from the neck, with the diseased scales being watery and delimited from the healthy ones by a narrow ring. Later they mummify and, in the presence of moisture, are covered with a grey mould.

Grey rot of garlic - yellowish-brown, slightly sunken, small spots develop, which gradually enlarge during storage. When harvesting the bulbs, they should be well dried and stored in cool and well-ventilated premises.

Blue-green mould rot of onion and garlic - the outer scales and the basal plate of the bulbs are covered with brown watery spots, gradually mummify and only the outer scales remain. In garlic, the head darkens and breaks up into individual cloves. Diseased bulbs have a strong odor and are covered with a blue-green mould. Only mechanically sound bulbs should be stored, under optimal conditions.

Fusarium rot of onion and leek - the onion bulbs, the roots and the pseudostem of the leek soften, turn brown and rot. A pink mycelium develops between the scales and leaves.