Production of virus-free garlic (Allium sativumL.) through meristem tip culture after solar or hot air treatment of cloves

SummaryGarlic (Allium sativum L.) is a clonally propagated crop that can be infected by many virus species which tend to accumulate year-after-year, leading to yield reductions and varietal degeneration. Therefore, the production and use of virus-free planting material is vital to sustain productivity. In this study, Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV; Potyvirus), Garlic common latent virus (GarCLV; Carlavirus), Shallot latent virus (SLV; Carlavirus), and Garlic virus X (GarV-X; Allexivirus) were detected in cloves of the commercial garlic cultivar, ‘G-1’ (‘Jamuna Safed’) by direct antigen-coated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAC-ELISA). DAC-ELISA was performed using specific antisera against each virus species, and confirmed through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) using virus or genus-specific oligonucleotide primers. To obtain virus-free plants of ‘G-1’, cloves were subjected to solar heat treatment for 5, 10, or 15 d, or to hot air treatment (at 37°C, 40°C, or 42°C for 7, 14,...