Garlic: Botany, Chemistry, and Uses

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is one of the important bulbous crops grown and used as a spice throughout India and also all over the world. Garlic bubs contain phosphorus, potash, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and ascorbic acid. Garlic bulbs contains very little fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The genus Allium is a large and diverse one containing over 1,250 species. Its close relatives include elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum), chives (Allium schoenoprasum L.), onion (Allium cepa L.), leek (Allium porrum L.) and shallot (Allium cepa var. aggregatum, syn. Allium ascalonicum L.). Garlic has been used throughout the recorded history for culinary and medicinal uses. Currently, the interest in garlic is increasing substantially due to its nutritional and pharmaceutical values including the management of high blood pressure and cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and cancer. In India, ICAR-Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research (ICAR-DOGR) is acting as a National Active Germplasm Site (NAGS) for garlic. Till date, a total of 725 garlic accessions including varieties, landraces, cultivars, and other germplasm accessions have been maintained at ICAR-DOGR. These accessions were being studied for varietal evaluation, trait identification, basic studies related to bolting in garlic, biochemical constitution studies, and so on. The research related to biotic and abiotic stress in garlic with an emphasis on elimination of bulb virus and identification of water tolerant lines is in progress. The improved cultivation practices pertaining to major nutrients and minor minerals are also being practiced and evaluated at multi-location cites. Dissemination of improved varieties and cultivation practices has been carried out using different extension activities. This chapter provides a bird’s-eye view of garlic, the universal spice, and its manifold uses. It deals with taxonomy, botany, chemistry, germplasm evaluation and characterization, crop improvement and improved varieties, crop management, production technology management of pests and diseases, biotechnological interventions, and uses in the medicinal culinary areas.