Differences in Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Local and Introduced Cultivars and Mutated Lines of Garlic

ABSTRACT A field study was conducted to compare morphological, physiological, and genetic variation among local and introduced cultivars and mutated lines of garlic (Allium sativum L.). Twenty-six garlic mutants and twenty-six local and introduced garlic cultivars were used in the study. Characteristics studied included plant height, percent of plants forming multiple shoots, disease resistance, time to maturity, bolting, farmer acceptance, bulb weight, bulb to total plant ratio, and weight loss after two-weeks and 3 mo of storage. Genetic variation among cultivars was determined using isozyme and protein electrophoretic analyses. Several introduced cultivars showed improvement in many characteristics over local characteristics. The cvs. PI383819 and Rumani were better than the local cultivars in bulb weight, bulb to total plant ratio, and resistance to white rot. However, the same cultivars received low grades in the farmers' evaluation test due to high percentage of multiple shoots. The results of this study confirmed the effectiveness of positive selection of good size bulbs in the white rot resistance mutants. The mutant lines maintained a high degree of resistance (< 2.5% infection) in addition to the increase in bulb weight compared to local cultivars. Isozyme and total protein electrophoretic analyses revealed a high level of variability among the cultivars. The cv. Hungary was distinct from other cultivars in cluster analysis, apparently because it belongs to A. ampeloprasum and not A. sativum.