ABSTRACT
Onion (Allium cepa L.) and its close relatives, garlic (A. sativum), leek (A. porrum), and chives (A. schoenoprasum), are members of the Liliaceae family. They have been grown as vegetable crops throughout the world since 3000 B.C. Allium vegetables are the fourth largest group of commercially produced, nonleguminous vegetables after potatoes, cassava, and tomatoes. Their combined annual production around the world was 53×106 MT in 1998 (1).
