Use of biotechnological techniques in garlic crop (Allium sativum L.)

Abstract

Plant biotechnology has become a viable strategy for agriculture, its applications include strategies aimed at obtaining and maintaining pathogen-free cultivars, genetic improvement (anther cultivation, embryo rescue, etc.) and micropropagation, used to obtain a greater number of individuals in less time and reduced spaces. Each of its phases depends largely on an adequate culture medium, since the growth, development and morphogenesis of the explant is mainly due to its chemical composition. For the production of garlic "seed" (Allium sativum L.), all phases are carried out in a growth chamber under automatically controlled aseptic and artificial conditions and at a temperature ranging between 22-25 °C. Somatic embryogenesis allows complete plants to be regenerated from a single cell. Garlic is an annual plant that only reproduces asexually, which is why bacteria, fungi and mainly viruses, which contribute to a 50-80 % decrease in its yield, affect it. An alternative to avoid these problems is the use of chemotherapy, thermotherapy or the combined use of one of these techniques with the cultivation of meristems, to obtain plants of high biological quality. Depending on the behavior of the culture during its in vitro stage, its response will be in the acclimatization phase and later in field conditions. This work was carried out with the objective of deepening the knowledge of some biotechnological techniques that are applied in the cultivation of garlic.