Morphological variation in Mexican advanced lines of marbled and purple garlic

Abstract

The objective of this work was to determine the morphological traits of advanced lines of garlic of different origins, under the agroclimatic conditions of Guanajuato, Mexico. This research was conducted in the autumn-winter cycle of 2023–2024, in the Bajío Experimental Station, in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. Twenty-eight morphological traits were determined in 16 advanced garlic lines, based on the guidelines established by the International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and correspondence analysis. Morphological differences were found in 22 of the 28 traits that showed diversity among the lines. Five groups were identified in the cluster analysis, representing different genetic pools. The main traits used to distinguish these groups were the position of cloves at the tip of the bulb, position of the root disc, ground colour and thickness of dry external scales, and attitude of foliage. These traits can be used as criteria to select elite lines for garlic breeding.