Members of the Garlic Growers Association of Ontario (GGAO) are able to purchase roundels / clean seed on a yearly basis produced at the SPUD Unit at the University of Guelph Ontario Crops Research Centre – New Liskeard.  

 

Commercially-grown garlic is an asexually-propagated crop, meaning that each generation is a genetic clone of the previous generation. Asexually propagated crops can also pass along diseases, including viruses to the next generation. Many pathogens that were in the mother bulb are planted as daughter cloves the following season and accumulate over time. In garlic, that yield drag has been estimated to be anywhere from 25–50%. By propagating material that has been ‘freed’ of viruses through tissue culture, growers are able to take advantage of that yield boost until viruses and other pathogens build up in the crop over time.

 

The Garlic Clean Seed Program was developed to produce clean seed roundels that were free of all known garlic pathogens including viruses, fungi, bacteria and mites. Roundels or ‘clean seed’ are different from other garlic planting stock. Refer to the table below to see how roundels compare to other garlic planting stock types.

The amount / weight of roundels produced by the SPUD Unit is limited by the area of growing space available at the facility, which changes on a yearly basis. Each Ontario member of GGAO is guaranteed 200 grams with the ability to purchase more once all member orders have been received. You must be a GGAO member (membership purchased by registered deadline) to purchase roundels. 

Previously, the cultivar ‘Music’ was the primary cultivar available for purchase as roundels through the clean seed program. Over the past four years, the SPUD Unit has successfully added new cultivars to the GGAO clean seed germplasm. The cultivars and the number of roundels available for purchase will be communicated to growers who have expressed interest in purchasing clean seed. 

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Roundels are sold by the gram and are not sold by each individual roundel. Therefore, purchasing 100 grams may result in ~75 roundels of an average larger size, or ~125 roundels of an average smaller size. The cost per gram of roundels varies in price from $1.60 to $2.30 per gram (+ shipping) based on cultivar.  This is 2024 pricing. All roundels are shipped directly from the SPUD Unit in New Liskeard, to the address provided by the GGAO member. Roundels are only shipped within Ontario.

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Please E-mail garlicgrowersofontario@gmail.com with the subject line ‘2023 Clean Seed’ if you are an Ontario GGAO member interested in purchasing clean seed this year. Please include the following:

• Indicate what the maximum number of grams you are interested in purchasing

• Indicate if you would prefer the cultivar ‘Music’ or prefer other cultivars 

For more information about the launching of the GGAO Garlic Clean Seed Program: https://onvegetables.com/2020/08/05/spud/

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