386 Handbook of herbs and spices
relative humidity of the air, proper harvesting and curing practices, well-ventilated or
cold storage and proper sanitation. No information is published on resistance/tolerance
to pests in shallots, but some landraces show better field tolerance to some foliage
diseases than the bulb onion, and differences in resistance between cultivars are
noticeable (Currah and Proctor, 1990).
Shallots are susceptible to a number of air-borne and soil-borne fungi, as well as
to insects, nematodes, bacteria and viruses. Tolerance/resistance to purple blotch was
reported for red shallot and the bulb onion ‘Red Creole’ from Ethiopia (Currah and
Proctor, 1990). A variety of diseases caused by organisms like Alternaria porri and
Colletotrichum species can be controlled with sprays of maneb. To control Spodoptera
species as well as thrips, twice-weekly sprays of monocrotophos or other insecticides
are used (Warade and Shinde, 1998).
22.8.9 Harvest and market preparation
Lane Greer and George Kuepper (1999) reported that autumn-planted shallots mature
in nine months, but the clusters will be smaller. Expect to harvest 5–7 kg of shallots
for each kg planted. This is roughly equivalent to 8–12 shallots for every shallot set
planted. Shallots are ready for harvest when the leaves begin to fall over and bulb
size is over 2.5 cm in diameter. Bulb maturity can be accelerated by withholding
irrigation water or by undercutting the root system. Bulbs for storage may be harvested
when 50% or more of the tops have fallen over, but the bulbs must cure and dry
thoroughly before being stored. Bulbs intended for immediate use can be harvested
when 15–25% of the tops are down. Thick-necked bulbs should be used immediately,
as they do not store well. Shallots will keep for about eight months if stored in a cool,
dry place. A single shallot bulb contains several shoot initials that resemble those of
doubled onions and each bulblet is covered with one to three protective skins. Dormancy
lasts between two and a half and four months (Sinnadurai and Amuti, 1971; Currah
and Proctor, 1990).
Harvest takes place when 70–80% of the leaves have turned yellow, i.e., 65–70
days after planting in the lowlands and 80–100 days after planting in highland areas.
The shallots are pulled by hand after they have obtained a diameter of at least 0.5–
0.6 cm. The outer skin is peeled off and the roots are trimmed, after which they are
washed and tied into 1-kg bunches. For dry bulb production, shallots are dried for 5–
14 days in the field and covered by plastic if it rains (Warade and Shinde, 1998).
According to Thompson and Kelly (1957) and Swiader et al. (1994) when shallots
are grown for their dry bulbs, the harvest and handling is similar to that used for
onions. Shallots grown for green onions are pulled when their tops are 15–20 cm long
and after they have obtained a minimum diameter of 0.62 cm.
Barrels containing 20 dozen (240) bunches were the standard containers for many
years. Shallots are also packed in 1-bushed and 1^1 / 3 bushed crates which hold five or
eight dozen bunches (60 or 96). The bunches must be packed with crushed ice since
they heat and spoil rapidly unless iced.
22.9 Uses in food industry/processing...................................................
The Indonesian shallot variety Sumenap is said to have a high fat content. In Ethiopia,
small local red shallots grown in the highlands are highly valued in the traditional