Degenerescence of virus-free garlic cultivars in altitude conditions in the Semiarid region of the Northeast of Brazil

Antonia Tm Bessa,Leilson C Grangeiro,Francisco V Resende,Mayky Fp De Lima,Laíza G De Paiva,Renan Da C Paulino,Glauber Henrique De S Nunes,Maria Zuleide De Negreiros,Welder De Ar Lopes

doi:10.1590/s0102-0536-20210216

Antonia Tm Bessa, Leilson C Grangeiro + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0102-0536-20210216

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Abstract

ABSTRACT It is necessary to use virus-free garlic seeds to reach high bulb yields; however, information is needed on the number of generations that these seeds can be grown in field conditions without decreasing bulb yield and quality due to degeneration. Degeneration is dependent on the production season and locality; thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the degeneration of virus-free garlic cultivars grown in the Semiarid region of the Northeast of Brazil, through three experiments conducted in Portalegre, state of Rio Grande do Norte. Virus-free garlic cultivars were used in the first generation (G1) and second-generation (G2) and cultivars without clonal cleaning (infected) in the third experiment. The experiments were conducted in randomized blocks experimental design, with four replications. The treatments consisted of five cultivars: Amarante, Branco Mossoró, Cateto Roxo, Gravatá, and Hozan. The use of G2 garlic seeds in field conditions is viable, mainly for the cultivars Branco Mossoró and Hozan, which showed lower production losses. However, further evaluations, considering at least four generations, are necessary for these cultivars, since the degeneration level depends on the crop environment.

Highlights

O emprego de alho-semente livre de vírus é uma necessidade para obtenção de altos rendimentos; porém, é necessário avaliar quantas gerações esse material pode ser cultivado em campo sem que a degenerescência cause redução de produção e de qualidade
The treatments consisted of five garlic cultivars (Amarante, Branco Mossoró, Cateto Roxo, Gravatá, and Hozan), acquired from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Hortaliças), Brasília-DF, Brazil
The effect of the interaction between garlic-seed health and cultivars was significant for the mean bulb weight, total bulb yield (TBY), and number of cloves per bulb (NCB)

Summary

Introduction

O emprego de alho-semente livre de vírus é uma necessidade para obtenção de altos rendimentos; porém, é necessário avaliar quantas gerações esse material pode ser cultivado em campo sem que a degenerescência cause redução de produção e de qualidade. Concluise que até a G2 é viável a utilização do alho-semente no campo, principalmente das cultivares Branco Mossoró e Hozan por terem registrado menores perdas de produção. The use of virus-free garlic seeds from clonal cleaning usually results in more vigorous and taller plants, greater numbers of leaves, and higher bulb quality and yield (Fernandes et al, 2013). Diseases caused by several virus species are the main cause of garlic-seed degeneration, gradually causing decrease of the vegetative vigor, productive potential, and bulb quality over the crop generations (Resende et al, 2016). Gravatá, Gigante de Lavínia, and Gigante-Roxão) can be multiplied in field conditions for at least nine consecutive years, with decreasing production after the third or fourth crop year, depending on the cultivar

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