THE GARLIC NEWS Connecting the Canadian Garlic Network! Issue 50 Winter 2016-2017 The challenge of fungal diseases in garlic Garlic is subject to numerous diseases that cause reduced • Using compost improves soil health. Does compost yields, and in extreme cases, complete loss of the crop. reduce diseases? Not directly. Compost is not like a Most garlic diseases are soil borne, that is, they exist in the drug taken to fight a sickness. You don’t add compost soil. The soil has millions of different microbes that and suddenly see a plant get better. Compost changes include both good and bad fungi. Pathogenic fungi and the number and type of microbes, multiplying the nematodes cause diseases while beneficial fungi work to beneficial organisms a thousand-fold. These microbes destroy the hazardous ones. will in turn destroy the diseases. Mycorrhizal fungi There are many disease fungi; the ubiquitous fusarium included with the compost produce anti-biotics that basal rot and basal plate rot of garlic bulbs; botrytis; the protect against pathogens and improve garlic yields. feared white rot disease that can infect fields for up to 40 • Compost tea makes the benefits of compost go farther. years; damping off, downy mildew, purple blotch, etc. and Sprayed on the leaves, it helps suppress foliar diseases. more. The Compendium of Onion and Garlic Diseases Poured on the soil around the base of plants, the good describes 60 diseases affecting garlic and onions, 40 of microbes out-compete the disease-causing microbes. which are caused by fungi. Quite evidently, most garlic Make the tea aerobically, using a bubbler. diseases and crop losses are caused by fungi. • Crop rotation enables disease pathogens to die off in the absence of host plants. For example, fusarium rot Fungal diseases are increasingly spreading throughout of garlic will be eliminated from the soil when the garlic growing areas. As the industry grows and expands, hosts, garlic and onions are absent for 4 to 5 years. they are being multiplied by a combination of infected seed garlic along with poor farming practice. Weather has an • Selecting and saving impact as well. The wet, damp spring and summer weather your own planting stock that we experienced in the past several years have also avoids importing more provided favourable conditions for some of them to thrive. diseases. Is there a solution to this problem? First, there is no instant solution, no seed treatment or soil soak, no silver bullet that • Discard diseased cloves to avoid planting them. Some will make the problem go away. The “bad fungi” are a part growers even go to the extent of peeling all the cloves of nature and exist in soils the world over. There are also to check for disease symptoms. the good ones, the ones that fight and destroy the bad ones, • Hot water treatment of cloves before planting destroys reducing damage to plants. This fact points to the ways and hazardous fungi. Although not 100% effective, this means to manage and control fungal diseases and prevent treatment helps to reduce disease in the cloves. catastrophic crop losses. This is where organics comes in. • Rejuvenate garlic planting stock on a regular basis using the bulbil planting method. The organic farmer is in a good position to manage and • Selectively use cover crops to clean up soil pathogens. control soil-borne diseases and their spread, having an arsenal of effective tools. It’s all in using good practices. • There are more good practices. Follow as many as possible in all phases of the garlic growing cycle. Although not an all-inclusive list, the most important organic practices in the control of fungal diseases are: The science of soil borne plant diseases is still a frontier science. Questions on what goes on in organic soil and • Disease control starts with the soil. This is where the what are the interactions between the millions of microbes damage occurs and this is where the solution is to be and their action on plants remain unanswered. What is found. Developing and maintaining healthy organic known is that organic practices do improve and maintain soil is essential in growing healthy plants. Healthy soil soil life and that this good soil produces healthy plants. teeming with beneficial microbes grows strong plants It is evident that diseases are unlikely to ever be eradicated. that resist disease better than the weaker plants grown However, growers can successfully deal with this challenge in marginal soil. Healthy plants produce chemicals by diligent organic practice. The result is healthier garlic that reduce or prevent the infection by the fungus. The and considerably reduced crop losses. Editor. plants produce their own disease fighting drugs. BUY LOCAL, BUY ORGANIC, BUY CANADIAN IT MAKES HEALTHY BUSINESS SENSE In This Issue The Garlic News Connecting The challenge of fungal diseases in garlic 1 The editor discusses how organic growers can use the tools at their disposal to manage The Canadian Garlic Network soil borne fungal diseases to minimize crop loss. Issue 50 winter 2016-2017 Notes from our garlic patch 3 Managing Editor: Paul Pospisil Garlic planting of the Small Plot Garlic Variety trials went smoothly in Fall 2016; the Business Manager: Mary Lou Pospisil editor claims good planning & preparation but it was likely Mother Nature’s tolerance. A Clove Here and There & Spotted on the Internet 4 Regular Columns: Jean Lafontaine Garry Leskiw has moved further north and now grows his garlic in his Second Look : Al Picketts Garden near Camperville MB; three research topics on cancer fighting and antibiotic : Deb Barnhart properties of garlic spotted from the hundreds that can be found on the Internet. : Terry Graydon We Get Calls and Letters 5 : Garry Leskiw : Peter Barthel, Germany Planting time annually evokes questions about how best to plant garlic. This year, the Crop reports: Denise Gaulin, Jody Hardy, Concern over fungal disease brought more concerns from growers. Eva Meyer Ail Quebec News 6-7 Contributors : Sam Anderson, photos Jean Lafontaine covers the highlights of this busy Garlic Association: Dealing with Published by: Beaver Pond Estates fungal diseases, using the Ail Quebec logo for promotion, plans for 2017 and the value Printing by: Impression Printing, Smiths Falls of garlic festivals for promotion. Bouquets to departing president, Denis Dalpé. Testing a Polish made garlic planter 7 HOW TO CONTACT US Steve Anderson of Westport, Ontario imports garlic planters from Poland. The editor Paul Pospisil, Managing Editor, participated in the pre-delivery testing of one, a low cost towed manual planter. The Garlic News, Beaver Pond Estates, Al’s Ramblings: Compost from mussels, manure & mushrooms 8 3656 Bolingbroke Road, Al talks about the rock free and acidic soil found in PEI and how he feeds it with Maberly, Ont., K0H 2B0 compost and green manures to grow his fine garlic. Phone: 1-613-273-5683 Garlic Connections: HCGGA page 9 Email: [email protected] Deb Barnhart shares some thoughts on soil health and a recipe for Pizettes. The Garlic Directory 10-11 Cost of membership: Canada: $20.00 per year Garlic ads, listings and useful garlic contacts. Growers are finding the advantage of of 4 issues. Single copy price $5.00. Outside letting buyers know about their garlic. “Don’t hide your garlic under a bushel! Canada: we ask our US friends to add $4.00 Garlic tasting of roasted local garlic 12 per year and our UK friends to add $8.00 per year to cover higher postal costs (does not Local grower Terry Graydon teamed with nutritionist and owner of the NOAL Pantry apply to the E-Garlic News). in Smiths Falls to host a unique garlic tasting using roasted organic garlic. Payment by cheque, cash or E-transfer. Taste Testing: Growing Garlic for Flavour 13 Advertising: see rates in Directory pages. One of our newest members, Peter Barthel, an organic grower in Germany shares his experience in growing garlic and taste testing it for best flavour. About the Garlic News The 9-point Sensorial Evaluation Chart 14 The Garlic News is a membership newsletter Peter Barthel has adapted the chart used for taste comparison of vegetables for his distributed at cost to members. It provides a garlic tasting experiments. networking forum for the sharing of garlic The Garlic Directory: Garlic Products at Wholesale from Eureka 15 information. Started in 2004, it carries on from Al Picketts has a garlic business to help other market gardeners with their business. where the Garlic Newsletter and The Voice of Garlic Research: Garlic Performance - 2016 Harvest 16 Garlic left off. The comparative evaluation of 28 cultivars showed some surprising results with the Back issues are available both in single copy Artichoke Group once again overall the best in a difficult growing year. and attractive 1-year bound sets. A Method for Comparison Tasting of Roasted Garlic 17 For lists of articles in previous issues, go to: Encouraged by Terry Graydon’s tasting potluck, we have produced a simple method www.garlicnews.ca/ or, for taste comparison of roasted garlic bulbs. www.rasacreekfarm.com More Calls and Letters (continued from page 5) 18, 19 & 20 The E-Garlic News Members share planting questions, offer suggestions and three members The E-Garlic News is available by Email. provided crop reports. Download size is approx. 5 MB. Inquire. Editorial Policy The purpose of the Garlic News is to enable farmers and gardeners to grow better garlic and Winter on the farm is catch up time, getting those jobs that just don’t enjoy it more. Articles and contributions are welcome and will be published subject to space seem to get done in the other busy seasons.