FERTILE CLONES OF GARLIC (ALLIUM-SATIVUM L) ABUNDANT AROUND THE TIEN-SHAN MOUNTAINS

Garlic (A. sativum L.) clones were collected around the Tien Shan Moun tains of Central Asia in 1994, based on the preliminary survey of 1983 in the wide area of Central Asia. All the 42 collected clones were gr own in Kagoshima. Regular meiosis of pollen mother cells (PMCs) was ob served in all the 39 examined clones, and 31 of the 35 examined clones produced fertile pollen. Pollen fertility varied largely with clones from 86.8% to 4.0% and 17 clones showed more than 50%. All the fertile clones accompanied purple anthers while the sterile clones accompanie d yellow anthers. Pollen germination rate depended on the clones, and it ranged from 31.7% to 55.6% two hours after pollen release. Three hu ndred and forty-six seeds were obtained through self-pollination from 17 clones most of which were collected in Almaty, Bishkek, Issykkul, K ant and Kashgar. Three of them germinated after low temperature treame nt. Several fertile clones of the preliminary survey in 1983 were also found on the north side of the Tien Shan Mountains. From these evidnc es on fertility, the primary center of origin of garlic which is regar ded as a sterile plant may be reduced to the area around the Tien Shan Mountains.