Effect of Shading in Suspended Storage under the Eaves on the Quality of Seed Bulbs for Spring-Harvesting Cultivation of Allium × wakegi Araki cv. Kan Shirazu

Abstract

The effect of shading in suspended storage under the eaves on the quality of seed bulbs of Allium × wakegi Araki cv. Kan Shirazu was investigated for improving the seed bulb quality, i.e., increase of transplantable bulbs, increases of the bulb weight and sprouting after the dormant period, and decrease of softened bulbs, for spring-harvesting cultivation. Bulbs in suspended storage under the eaves were dormant until mid-August. An increase in the respiration rate and rapid bulb softening were observed in early September in the control, but shading during storage suppressed the increase in the respiration rate. Shading also prevented the decrease in the total sugar content of the dry bulbs in September. The bulb weight and rate of softened bulbs under shading were 10 and 20% lower than those of the control, respectively, and shading increased the rate of transplantable bulbs by 20% at the end of the year, being the end of the transplant season.