Evaluation of storage conditions and growth in greenhouse of microbulbs of garlic from tissue culture

Abstract

Microbulbs development of garlic (Allium sativum L.) produced in the laboratory and its adaptation to conditions of growing houses, can be considered a prerequisite for breeding programs because it ensures mass production of clones free of pests and diseases. For such purpose, laboratory, storage and growing house tests were established with ‘Boconó’ garlic. During storage phase, bulbs were separated by size, and were subjected to three temperatures (4 °C, 10 °C and 23 °C) and two light conditions (illumination and darkness) for 45 days. Subsequently, microbulbs were grown in humid chamber using Promix® as substrate. Microbulbs from the previous stage, were transferred to fixed beds in the growing house at INIA (Cubiro, Lara state). Data were analyzed by parametric and non- parametric statistics. Microbulbification occurred from shoots grown in Murashige and Skoog with 2 mg L-1 2ip and 90 mg.L-1 of sucrose. Regardless of lighting conditions, storage temperatures of 4 and 10 °C, favored the issuance of sprouts and the highest averages for microbulb diameter and weight. Microbulbs stored at 4 and 10 °C responded favorably to transplant to humid chamber conditions,  recording the highest averages for the variables plant height and number of leaves. In the growing houses,   materials stored at 10 °C showed the highest averages for both foliage and bulb variables. These results can contribute to the production of basic seed of garlic and their incorporation into breeding programs.