Small inflorescence bulbils are best for micropropagation and virus elimination in garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum L,) plants were cultured from immature inflorescence bulbils. The primordia of bulbils appeared initially as protuberances on r eproductive spices, swelled, and then formed bulbils with protective leaves . Excised bulbils sprouted on Murashige and Skoog's medium with 5.4 mu M na phthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and grew into plantlets, The frequency of sprout ing in culture increased with the development of bulbils before excision, a nd immature bulbils 0.4 to 2.4 mm in diameter sprouted at a frequency of >8 5 %. A dot immunoblot assay revealed a remarkable reduction in levels of ga rlic mite-borne mosaic virus in plantlets grown from immature bulbils, sugg esting that such bulbils might be suitable for the propagation of virus-fre e garlic plants.