Agronomic performance of both virus-infected and virus-free garlic with different seed bulbs and clove sizes

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the growth and production of a garlic clone subjected to either infection or virus-free conditions, according to bulb and clove size classification. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Treatments consisted of either virus-infected or virus-free cloves, obtained from bulbs of four size classes and from cloves with three sieve diameters. Vegetative characteristics and plant production were assessed. Plants infected by viral complexes showed reduction of emergence (8.4%), plant height (9.8%), and production of marketable bulbs (39.4%), as well as a lower average mass of bulbs and cloves. The virus-free clone produced more bulbs in classes 5 (42–47 mm), 6 (47–56 mm), and 7 (> 56 mm), besides having a lower influence on marketable quality standards as a function of garlic seed size variation. In the infected clone, bulbs from sieve 6 and cloves from sieve 1 (15×25 mm) produced bulbs with the highest market value. Virus-free garlic seed, with bulbs and cloves of medium and large size, produce bulbs of the highest market value, whereas, for the infected garlic, this is possible only with the larger garlic size.