Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and, although they are normally propagated from small bulbs, they can flower
and produce fertile seed and can be crossed with leeks (van der Meer and Hanelt,
1990).
Leek cultivars
Early leek cultivars were landraces that were variable in agronomic and
morphological traits. Leek growers produced their own seed from selected
superior plants. The varieties were often named by their locality of origin - for
example, cv. 'Musselburgh' from the town of that name in Scotland. Winter
hardiness was selected in northern parts of Europe and early, fast-growing
landraces developed in southern Europe (de Clercq and van Bockstaele, 2002).
Leek varieties have been classified into a number of major types that differ in
pseudostem length and slenderness, leaf colour, winter hardiness and
tendency for bulbiness (Brittain, 1988). The types are:
1.
Bulgaarse Reuzen (Bulgarian Giant). Very long, high-yielding leeks, pale-
green leaves, little frost resistance, e.g. cv. 'Longa'.
2.
Danish types. Long, high-yielding types with pale to mid-green leaves, suitable
for late summer production, rather frost susceptible, e.g. cv. 'King Richard'.
3.
Franse Zomer selections. Long leeks with mid-green leaves, limited frost
resistance, tendency to be bulby, e.g. cv. 'Pancho'.
4.
Swiss Giant group. Medium to long, pale to mid-green, rather spreading
leaves, some frost resistance; some cvs have done well as early-season modular
transplants, e.g. cv. 'Tilina'.
5.
Blauwgroene Herfst. Medium shank length, dark-green leaves, tendency
for bulbiness in some, e.g. cv. 'Verina'.
6.
Autumn Giant group. Medium shank length, mid-green, spreading leaves,
little bulbing, high yields, e.g. cv. 'Goliath'; some varieties are very frost hardy.
7.
Winter Giant group. Rather variable in appearance between varieties, but
all have good frost resistance, e.g. cv. 'Winterreuzen'.
8.
Blue-green Winter group. Short leeks, dark leaves, a high degree of
bulbiness, very hardy but rather low yielding, e.g. cv. 'Bleustar'.
Types 4, 6, 7 and 8 correspond to already registered 'cultons' or cultivar
groups. A culton is a systematic group of cultivated plants based on one or
more user criteria (Hetterscheid
et al.
, 1999).
Rakkyo,
Allium chinense
G.Don
Allium chinense
, which has also been called
A. bakeri
Regel, known as rakkyo or
scallions, is grown mainly in Japan and China to produce small, edible bulbs
which are mostly used in pickles in Japan. In China it is mainly grown in central
and southern regions and its wild type is reported to grow in the mountain
regions of Chiangsu and Chechiang provinces. The cultivated types are
propagated by bulb division, since the flowers do not set seed. The chromosome
