Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres

A. SENULA and E.R.J. KELLER
Diversity in a clonally propagated crop: morphological characters
in garlic compared with existing molecular classifications
A. SENULA and E.R.J. KELLER 1
Abstract
A subset of 113 garlic accessions from the Gatersleben genebank collection was
characterised using 16 morphological characters. The characterisation data were
used for principal components and cluster analyses. Comparisons with existing
RAPD and isozyme classifications were performed and gave high correlations especially
in cases of the ophioscorodon and sativum groups. The morphological characterisation
was used for the selection of a core collection which represents the greatest
diversity of garlic in the northern part of Europe.
Introduction
Within the genus Allium, garlic is one of the larger crop species well represented in
the collection of the Gatersleben gene bank. The garlic gene bank is especially valuable
because of the high percentage of original material from collection missions. In
the course of an EU-funded GenRes project, a priority subset out of all the Gatersleben
accessions has been selected. The main selection criteria were the geographical
representation in combination with already documented isozyme and RAPD data
(MAASS and KLAAS, 1995). This subset has been characterised during four years by
means of morphological markers. It has been introduced into virus-free in vitro storage
and will be the research base for cryopreservation studies. It has been offered to
other research groups and users as a reference collection for further studies on garlic.
Material and methods
The characterisation of the gene bank material has been done in co-ordination with
the process of re-formulation of the minimum descriptors prepared for publication by
IPGRI.
1 Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung Gatersleben (IPK)
Corrensstr. 3
D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany
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