ABSTRACT
Both onion, Allium cepa L., and garlic, Allium sativum L., are thought to have originated in central Asia. They have been cultivated in India and China since very early times, and were highly esteemed in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome (3). Onions are now grown in most countries of the world, and total production exceeds 25 million tonnes. The leading producers are China, India, the USSR, the USA, Turkey, Japan, Spain, Brazil, Iran and Poland. Substantial quantities are exported from the Netherlands, Spain, India, Turkey and Poland, the greatest demand being in West Germany and the UK. World production of garlic is about 2Va million tonnes, grown chiefly in China, Korea, Spain, India, Egypt, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, the USA and Indonesia.
