Annex White book.pdf

ing takes place after 7 or 8 years. The bulbs that will be used for thenew cultivation, are collected during May – June. Bulb grubbing is performedby tractor ploughs or other grubbing machinery. Prior to theiruse, they are cleaned, selected and stored for 40 to 50 days in a cooland dark place.In Sardinia, a hilling up plough is used that is pulled by a tractoror horse. The grubbed bulbs are collected hand and placed in boxes fortransport to the premises of the cultivators in order to be cleaned. Bulbgrubbing is takes place at the end of the cultivation cycle during themonths of June and July.1.3.9.2 CleaningIn Spain, cleaning is performed in order to remove the damagedplants, achieving thus better planting densities and improved cultivationcycles.Prior to cleaning, all foreign objects such as soil, weed and otherplant residues must be removed from the plant. Further on, some partsof the plant must be also removed such as the outer housing and allbulbs from former cycles that remain attached on the bulb’s foot. Alltasks must be carried out without damaging the plant or leaving thewhite and pulpy pert of the bulb uncovered. Before and after cleaning,the bulbs should be stored unexposed to direct sun light and in layersof less than 40 cm. All infected relicts will be burned. Sometimes somebulbs are seriously infected and weigh less than the healthy ones. Immersingthese bulbs in water is suggested in order to remove the soilresidues. The bulbs should be dried by the use of air.In Sardinia, the outer housing of the bulbs is removed directly aftergrubbing (June – July). Trimming allows the further use of healthybulbs that carry no fungus symptoms and with a diameter larger than2,5 cm. After grubbing, cleaning and trimming, the bulbs are stored inplastic bags and wooden or plastic boxes, unexposed to sunlight, in dryenvironment until planting, which traditionally, takes place between thefirst half of August and the first half of September.In Western Macedonia, the outer housing of the bulbs is cleaned byhand before planting.114