Reproduction of garlic with meristem culture and determining the efficiency of purification from virus by real-time PCR

This study was conducted between 2009-2010 in Çukurova University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture and Adana Veterinary Control Research İnstitute. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficiency of meristem culture and shoot tip methods for virus free production of two different garlic types named as Tunceli and Kastamonu garlic which grow in flora of Turkey and show that applying Real time PCR method is a more succesful way or not in order to obtain Onion Yellow dwarf (OYDV) and Leek Yellow Stripe (LYSV) viruses free plants which are reproduced by meristem culture and shoot tip methods. Based on the results of the study, although no viruses were found in Tunceli garlic seedlings reproduced by meristem culture when the same type was reproduced via shoot tip mothod 12 OYDV and 10 LYSV infected plants were observed. On the other hand, similar to Tunceli garlic, no viruses were determined from the seedlings of Kastamonu garlic that were reproduced by meristem culture. Again in shoot tip method, 11 and 13 Kastamonu seedlings were determined which were infected with OYDV and LYSV, respectively. Regarding these data common viruses seen in garlics were not found in reproduction via meristem culture, against it viruses were markedly determined in shoot tip method. As a result of the present study, meristem culture is a more succesful method in terms of reproducing virus free garlics.Key Words: Garlic, OYDV, LYSV, Real-Time PCR, Meristem culture