CHALLENGES IN GARLIC BREEDING

USMAN IJAZ
ASSISTANT RESEARCH OFFICER

 Allium sativum Family Alliaceae

 Oldest crop 5000 years ago in Egyptian It was grown 4000 years ago Used 2000 years ago in China

Pakistan
80000 60000 40000

20000
2005-06
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11

Area (Ha)

Production (Kg)

Yield (Kg/Ha)

Source: Agri. Statistics of Pakistan 2010-11

Punjab
30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0

Area (Ha) Yield (kg/Ha)

Source: Agri. Statistics of Pakistan 2010-11

Production (Kg)

Sindh
16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0

Area (Ha) Yield (Kg/Ha)

Production (Kg)
Source: Agri. Statistics of Pakistan 2010-11

KPK
30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0

Area (Ha)
Source: Agri. Statistics of Pakistan 2010-11

Production (Kg)

Baluchistan
10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Area (Ha) Yield (Kg/Ha) Production (Kg)
Source: Agri. Statistics of Pakistan 2010-11

Province

Area (Ha)

Production (Kg)

Yield (Kg/Ha)

Punjab Sindh KPK Baluchistan

2790 2790 2090 418

23018 9954 22954 3318

8281 4990 11000 8118

Pakistan

7281

59427

8181

Source: Agri. Statistics of Pakistan 2010-11

3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

Area

Production

 Central Asia Wild relative Allium longicuspis (Etoh & Simon, 2002) Wild progenitor Allium tuncelianum (Mathew 1996) Currently found in Turkey

 Diploid
2n = 2X = 16 Allium sub-species included Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon Allium sativum var. pekinense Allium sativum var. sativum Non-Bolting Incomplete or partial bolting

 Flowering ability Leaf traits Bulb traits Plant maturity Cold hardiness Bulbil traits Flower traits
Morphological variation is always complicated

 Isozymes:
Few polymorphism detected RAPDs: High polymorphism detected but un reproducible AFLPs Highly conserved and reproducible Karyotype Basic karyotype for hardneck Non Basic karyotype for softneck

BULB:
Consist of cloves surrounded by dry basal sheath Bolting: 4-12 cloves of uniform size Non-Bolting: 8-50 cloves of variable size

Clove:
Outer thin protective leaf + Inner thick storage leaf Storage leaf subtends a vegetative bud over flattened basal plate

Dormancy:
Exposed to cool temperature (15 C or below)

Roots:
Adventitious roots start developing basal plate

Leaf:
Sprout leaf start elongation and ooze out Leaves arise in opposite and alternate orientation

Pseudostem:
Base of consecutive leaves extensively overlapped

Inflorescence:
Umbel 150-200 flowers/umbel Protanderous Bulbils

 Perfect / Hermaphrodite Petals: 6 Anthers: 6 Locules: 3 consisting of 2 ovules each Style longer than petals Garlic flower is smaller than onion

 Vernalization (<5 C) Floral induction Scape elongation Inflorescence development Competition with bulb Floral maturation
Only bolting genotypes are sensitive

 Accumulation of pathogens Chromosome aberrations Post-Meiotic tapetal degeneration Unsuccessful competition with bulbils Multivalent chromosome pairing Long-term asexual propagation

Garlic germplasm
Diverse Wild relatives Selection Central Asian garlic germplasm

Procedure Discovery of male fertile garlic source i. Pollination and seed production Sowing time Flower color: Fertility, Hybrid seed production Bulbil removal: Early senescence Multiple pollinations Pollinators: Honey bees, House flies, Bluebottle flies Diseases & pests Weather: Hot weather (>30 C)

ii. Seed harvest:

Dried inflorescence crushed Small seeds are inviable Wind column Select heavier and vigorous seed 50 seeds/umbel

iii. Growing seedlings: Difficult in early generations Seed treatments: Hormones, Scarification, Stratification Epigeal germination

 Selection for improved floral characteristics Selection for male fertile flowers Selection for improved seed size and vigor Selection for seedling vigor

 Development of new clones for asexual propagation Development of seed cultivated garlic cultivars Recurrent phenotypic selection Hybrid garlic cultivars Open pollinated field cultivars

 Not realistic Sexual reproduction is the necessity T. Etoh, confirmed that garlic seed is possible USPTO lists three seed derived garlic cultivars

 Clonal selection Partially bolting types Improving production technology Disease and pest tolerance Improving storage technology Quality

 Germplasm VRIG-11 G11-1(N) G11-2(H) Lahsen Gulabi

VARIETIES Fresh bulb size(mm) No of cloves Fresh bulb weight Yield (Tons/Hac)

VRIG-11 Lehsan Gulabi

59 51

40 27

77 53

51 34

Note: Average was taken for 20 bulbs

VARIETIES

Leaf length Leaf Width (cm) (cm) 64.8 56.8 2.42 2.27

No. of Leaves/plant 10.1 10.7

Plant Height (cm) 104.8 91.4

VRIG-11 Lehsan Gulabi

Chemical composition (%)

VRIG-11

Lehsan Gulabi

Moisture Dry matter Protein

Fat Fiber Mineral Carbohydrates Dry Powder Energy (K Cal/100g)

41 59 6.65
0.48 2.14 2.43 48.31 24.12 212.08

34.5 65.5 6.86

0.59 2.81 2.74 52.54 29.67 229.85

Cultivar

Days to Yield Avg. wt maturity (tonnes/ha (g)/bulb )

Avg.wt (g)/clove

Chinese

207 185

21.30 9.49 9.03

81.45 39.10 38.92

5.13 1.73 1.0

Lehson Ghulabi 190 GS-I

Mehmood et al, 2000 (Sarhad J. Of Agri.)

 Collection of diverse germplasm Identification of flower producing pockets Artificial floral induction Molecular markers Somaclonal variation

Asexual propagation, resulted clones do not flower, nearly or completely sterile, first generation seedlings are very week. But, access to diverse germplasm, adopting new procedures, careful seedling husbandry, allowed to produce true seed garlic. Taking advantage of these breakthrough, garlic breeding is underway

 Dr. Shahid Niaz Director, VRI, Faisalabad Mr. Najeeb Ullah Botanist, VRI, Faisalabad Mr. Tahir Iqbal Asst. Botanist, VRI, Faisalabad