A New Garlic Variety Has Appeared in Ukraine

The variety is intended for long-term storage and processing, while the available volume of planting material already makes it possible to cover up to 100 hectares, Serhii Shysh, the developer of the variety and Director of Agroinnovation, told AgroTimes.

The new variety was developed by crossing Ukrainian and foreign breeding material. Trials were conducted in Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Donetsk regions. The key feature of Ocheretynskyi Purple is its ability to retain pungency and aroma after drying, making it suitable for the production of spices, slices and granules.

Under a conventional cultivation system, yields reach 12–14 t/ha, while intensive technology with irrigation allows producers to obtain 20–22 t/ha. Garlic bulbs form a caliber of 50 to 70 mm and contain 2–2.5 times more cloves than common Ukrainian varieties.

Breeders paid particular attention to the product’s storability. In regular storage facilities, the garlic can be stored until May, while in refrigerated chambers at +2°C, it can last until August of the following year. This allows Ukrainian producers to compete more effectively with imported products throughout the entire season.

«To grow Ocheretynskyi Purple, investments of around $8,000/ha are required — this includes planting material, fertilizers and crop protection products, excluding irrigation. With a yield of 12–14 t/ha and an average selling price of about $3/kg, gross income amounts to approximately $38,000/ha, while potential profit can reach up to $30,000/ha. However, these figures are possible only with consistent field management throughout the entire season,» the expert summarized.