Technology that changed garlic production in Brazil turns 30

The positive impacts, represented by an increase in productivity that can reach more than 50%, are due to virus-free seed garlic (ALV) technology

23.08.2022 | 14:27 (UTC -3)
Embrapa
The positive impacts, represented by an increase in productivity that can reach more than 50%, are due to virus-free seed garlic (ALV) technology. - Photo: Wenderson Araujo/CNA
The positive impacts, represented by an increase in productivity that can reach more than 50%, are due to virus-free seed garlic (ALV) technology. - Photo: Wenderson Araujo/CNA

2022 has a special flavor for the Embrapa Hortaliças (DF) Garlic Genetic Improvement Program - this year, the technology that has been changing the panorama of garlic production in Brazil celebrates 30 years of its development. The positive impacts, represented by an increase in productivity that can reach more than 50%, are due to the virus-free garlic seed (ALV) technology, based on a cleaning process to eliminate viruses and other garlic pathogens.

For researcher Francisco Vilela, who coordinates the program at Embrapa Hortaliças, the increase observed is strongly related to the expansion of the use of technology, combined with advances in cultivation systems. “Increased mechanization, modernization of irrigation systems, improved nutrition and phytosanitary management had brought an improvement in production, but the greatest impact comes from the introduction of virus-free seed garlic into crops”, points out the researcher.

Having worked with garlic for 32 years, Vilela explains that viruses have always been the main diseases of the crop, affecting the plant's productive vigor. According to him, they are pathogens that are difficult to control, as chemical products such as those used to control pests and garlic diseases have no effect on viruses. Hence the importance of the technology for obtaining virus-free seed garlic to reinforce the production chain in its role as an important agent for generating employment and income in the country.

Impacts

Producer José Borges (better known as Valdez), from the Bahian municipality of Cristópolis, was one of the first to discover, in 2002/2003, the new technology “that changed his life”. According to him, it is not an exaggeration to say that there are two scenarios: before and after the introduction of virus-free garlic on your property:

“The impact was great. We worked with garlic infected with viruses, and productivity did not reach more than 3,5 t/ha. There was no knowledge that it could be different.” He says that in the year following the adoption of Embrapa's ALV technology, production was between 9 and 10 tons, and today it reaches 15/16 tons per hectare.

The balance of this increase in production, combined with the quality of the virus-free garlic, was reflected in the improvement of the producer's financial conditions. “Thanks to the profitability that went beyond expectations, I can say that today I provide my family with a quality of life that was never dreamed of long ago.”

“I adopted the technology that made a difference in our region, where family farming prevails. After my successful experience, many producers also invested in virus-free seed garlic and are now multiplying the seeds”, explains Valdez, who considers himself privileged to have believed in Embrapa's technology, presented by researcher Francisco Vilela, “to whom we owe all the achievements obtained since then”.

Anapa

According to a survey by the National Association of Garlic Producers (Anapa), around 18 thousand hectares of Brazilian crops are used for garlic cultivation. The entity estimates that the crop generates around 300 jobs in the country, a number that has been growing 15% per year, thanks to modern cultivation practices, notably the use of virus-free garlic seed technology.

For Rafael Corsino, president of Anapa, the cultivation of virus-free seed garlic has directly influenced productivity: “We went from a level of 12 to 14 tons/hectare and reached something around 20 to 25 tons/hectare with access to technology.”

Production

Virus-free garlic seed technology eliminates viruses in garlic bulbs through micropropagation techniques in the laboratory. Then, the plants are multiplied in vitro and subjected to tests to ensure the elimination of viruses. The plants multiplied through this process are grown in special insect-proof screens, such as mites and aphids, which transmit viruses and other diseases.

The procedure ensures that the garlic plants will be healthy, as well as the bulbils used as seeds. In addition to productivity, another impact related to the adoption of ALV concerns the increase in the commercial value of the vegetable, due to the quality and larger size of the bulbs, which results in greater acceptance and, consequently, better remuneration.

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