Abstract

Allium crops are the most indispensable vegetable crops used as condiments in most Ethiopian cuisine. Among them, onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) rightly called as “queen of kitchen”, belong to the family Alliaceae and considered as one of the most important vegetable and spice crops produced on large scale in Ethiopia, cultivated during dry and rainy seasons. The global pest, white rot, Sclerotium cepivorum Berk is one of the serious fungal disease reducing potential yields of onion and garlic crops in Ethiopia to a considerable degree. The development of this serious disease as depends on the environment, time and host plant, biological control; chemical and cultural practices, which are important in management of onion and garlic white rot disease. Therefore, in this paper attempts are made to collate information on pathogenicity of white rot  to these two crops recorded in Ethiopia, their distribution, economic importance, damage and management options scattered over published and unpublished sources and avail them for use by researchers and development workers on white rot problem in the country. This paper is also believed to identify research gaps that need to be addressed.

Key words: Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Ethiopia, Sclerotium cepivorum.