Keywords:

Garlic

Genetic diversity

Quantitative traits

Cultivar

Germplasm evaluation

Agro-morphological characterization of Allium sativum L. cultivars grown under semi-arid

conditions

Caracterización agro-morfológica de cultivares de Allium sativum L. cultivados en condiciones

semiáridas

Caracterização agro-morfológica de cultivares de Allium sativum L. cultivados em condições

semiáridas

Abdenour Belagrouz

Hocine Bendada

Zineb Tifouri

Farah Tabet Derraz

Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264326

ISSN 2477-9407

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47280/RevFacAgron(LUZ).v43.n2.VIII

Crop production

Associate editor: Dr. Jorge Vilchez-Perozo

University of Zulia, Faculty of Agronomy

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Laboratory of Algerian Forests and Climate Change, Higher

National School of Forests, Khenchela, Algeria.

Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of

Relizane, Relizane (48000), Algeria.

Technical Institute for Vegetable and Industrial Crops, Sidi

Bel Abbès, 22000, Algeria.

Higher School of Agronomy, Mostaganem, 27000, Algeria.

Received:06-02-2026

Accepted: 16-04-2026

Published: 29-04-2026

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a vegetable and medicinal crop

with signicant genetic diversity in Mediterranean regions. The

valorization of this condiment is necessary to meet production

demands. An experiment was conducted at ITCMI of Sidi Bel Abbes,

Algeria, to evaluate the variation of agro-morphological properties

of 10 garlic cultivars during the 2023/2024 growing season. The

morphological evaluation revealed signicant variety eects on

leaves, bulbs, and cloves. The varieties Rose de Chine, Rouge

Local, and Germidour showed important leaf length dimensions

(52.79, 53.23 and 52.1 cm) and leaf surface area (97.61, 88.48 and

86.26 cm²), respectively. Regarding bulbs and cloves, the varieties

Messidrômes and Mocta Bulgare indicated better performance

in weight (54.45 and 6.9 g) and diameter (52.69 and 22.71 mm),

respectively. The Fructidor variety had the highest number of

cloves per bulb (14.16). These results highlight the potential of

selected cultivars for specic end uses: foliage-vigorous varieties

for biomass-oriented programs, and high-yielding bulb varieties for

commercial production under semi-arid conditions. The identied

agro-morphological diversity provides a valuable basis for varietal

selection, breeding programs, and the conservation of locally

adapted garlic germplasm.

This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.

Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264326 April-June ISSN 2477-9409.

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Resumen

El ajo (Allium sativum L.) es un cultivo hortícola y medicinal

con importante diversidad genética en las regiones mediterráneas. La

valorización de este condimento es una necesidad para satisfacer la

demanda de producción. Se llevó a cabo un experimento en el ITCMI

de Sidi Bel Abbes, Argelia, para evaluar la variación de las propiedades

agro-morfológicas de 10 cultivares de ajo durante la campaña agrícola

2023/2024. La evaluación morfológica reveló efectos signicativos

de la variedad sobre hojas, bulbos y dientes. Las variedades Rose de

Chine, Rouge Local y Germidour mostraron dimensiones importantes

de longitud foliar (52,79; 53,23 y 52,1 cm) y supercie foliar (97,61;

88,48 y 86,26 cm²), respectivamente. En cuanto a bulbos y dientes,

las variedades Messidrômes y Mocta Bulgare indicaron mejor

rendimiento en peso (54,45 y 6,9 g) y diámetro (52,69 y 22,71 mm),

respectivamente. La variedad Fructidor presentó el mayor número

de dientes por bulbo (14,16). Estos resultados destacan el potencial

de los cultivares seleccionados para usos especícos: variedades de

follaje vigoroso para programas orientados a la biomasa, y variedades

de alto rendimiento en bulbo para la producción comercial en

condiciones semiáridas. La diversidad agromorfológica identicada

constituye una base valiosa para la selección varietal, los programas

de mejoramiento genético y la conservación del germoplasma de ajo

adaptado localmente.

Palabras clave: ajo, diversidad genética, características cuantitativas,

cultivar, evaluación de germoplasma.

Resumo

O alho (Allium sativum L.) e uma cultura hortícola e medicinal

com importante diversidade genética nas regiões mediterrânicas.

A valorização deste condimento é uma necessidade para satisfazer

a demanda de produção. Foi realizado um experimento no ITCMI

de Sidi Bel Abbes, Argélia, para avaliar a variação das propriedades

agromorfológicas de dez cultivares de alho durante a safra 2023/2024.

A avaliação morfológica revelou efeitos signicativos da variedade

sobre folhas, bulbos e dentes. As variedades Rose de Chine,

Rouge Local e Germidour apresentaram dimensões importantes de

comprimento foliar (52,79; 53,23 e 52,1 cm) e área foliar (97,61;

88,48 e 86,26 cm²), respectivamente. Quanto aos bulbos e dentes,

as variedades Messidrômes e Mocta Bulgare indicaram melhor

desempenho em peso (54,45 e 6,9 g) e diâmetro (52,69 e 22,71 mm),

respectivamente. A variedade Fructidor apresentou o maior número

de dentes por bulbo (14,16). Estes resultados destacam o potencial

dos cultivares selecionados para usos especícos: variedades

de folhagem vigorosa para programas orientados à biomassa, e

variedades de alto rendimento em bulbo para a produção comercial

em condições semiáridas. A diversidade agromorfológica identicada

constitui uma base valiosa para a seleção varietal, os programas de

melhoramento genético e a conservação do germoplasma de alho

localmente adaptado.

Palavras-chave: alho, diversidade genética, características

quantitativas, cultivar, avaliação de germoplasma.

Introduction

The genus Allium comprises major vegetable crops worldwide

and is characterized by high genetic and geographic diversity. Garlic

(Allium sativum L.) is one of the most important species in terms of

production, consumption, and therapeutic value. According to FAO

(2025), it is the second most produced vegetable crop after onion

(Allium cepa L.), with signicant global economic importance related

to its culinary, medicinal, and aromatic properties (El-Fiki and Adly,

2020). Global garlic production exceeds 30 million tons annually, with

Asia contributing nearly 90 % and China accounting for over 75 % of

world output (Aslam et al., 2025).

Garlic is a bulbous species of the Amaryllidaceae family, native

to Central Asia and widely cultivated in Mediterranean regions

since 1550 BC (Lim, 2015). Although it reproduces exclusively by

vegetative propagation (Egea et al., 2017), garlic shows considerable

phenotypic diversity. Genomic studies indicate that this diversity

has accumulated over thousands of years of cultivation, leading to

distinct genetic subpopulations worldwide (Jia et al., 2023), likely

driven by natural mutations under diverse environmental and cultural

conditions (Parreño et al., 2023).

Phenotypic variability in garlic mainly involves bulb, clove, and

leaf traits (Benke et al., 2020; Karaman et al., 2022). Morphological and

biochemical traits generally display higher phenotypic than genotypic

variation, highlighting the strong inuence of environmental factors

on trait expression (Pasupula et al., 2024). Evaluating this variability

is therefore essential for breeding programs aiming to improve or

develop new genotypes (Polyzos et al., 2019). Accordingly, this study

aimed to agronomically and morphologically characterize ten garlic

cultivars grown under semi-arid conditions in the Sidi Bel Abbes

region of Algeria.

Materials and methods

Experiment location and climatic conditions

The experiment was conducted during the 2023/2024 agricultural

season at the Technical Institute for Vegetable and Industrial Crops

(ITCMI) in Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria (35°10’25.20” N, 0°40’22.32” W,

altitude 490 m). The region has a semi-arid climate characterized by

wet and cold winters and dry and hot summers. During the growing

period, maximum temperatures ranged between 15.86 °C and 31.22

°C, while minimum temperatures varied between 11.51 °C and

18.55 °C. Maximum precipitation was recorded in December (84.44

mm.month

-1

) and minimum in February (6.42 mm.month

-1

Plant material

Ten Allium sativum L. varieties from the ITCMI collection were

evaluated, comprising genotypes of diverse geographic origins (Table

1). The collection was introduced approximately 35 years ago and is

therefore considered well adapted to local conditions. Sowing was

carried out in mid-November 2023.

Table 1. List of studied genotypes and their origins.

Index Denomination Origin

V1 Rouge Local France

V2 Thermidrome France

V3 Germidour France

V4 Fructidor France

V5 Rouge d’Iran Iran

V6 Rouge d’Espagne Spain

V7 Simple Californie USA

V8 Mocta Bulgare Bulgaria

V9 Messidrome France

V10 Rose de Chine China

This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.

Belagrouz et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264326

3-4 |

Experimental design

The experimental design was completely randomized with four

replications for each variety, totaling 40 microplots of 10 m long by 4

m wide (40 m²), with a total area of 1,913.5 m².

Morphological characterization

Morphological characterization was performed using biometric

measurements based on UPOV and IPGRI descriptors. Quantitative

traits were assessed on ten plants per variety and included leaf

number, length, and surface area, as well as bulb and clove weight

and dimensions. Leaf traits were measured 190 days after planting:

leaf number was counted directly per plant, leaf length was measured

from the ligule to the tip using a graduated ruler, and leaf surface

area was estimated from digital photographs analyzed with Digimizer

software (v. 5.6.0). At harvest, bulb and clove weight were recorded

using a precision balance (KERN PFB 1200-2, accuracy ± 0.01 g),

while bulb diameter, bulb height, clove diameter, and clove height

were measured with a digital caliper (Mitutoyo 500-196-30, accuracy

± 0.02 mm ).

Statistical analysis

Statistical analyses were performed using XLSTAT version

2021.3.1.1174 and CoStat version 6.400 software. One-way analysis

of variance (ANOVA) was applied to evaluate the variety eect

on quantitative characteristics (P ≤ 0.05). Mean comparison was

performed using the LSD test, which was selected due to the balanced

experimental design and the relatively small number of varieties

compared (n = 10), conditions under which its Type I error rate

remains acceptable. Pearson correlation coecients between agro-

morphological traits were computed and visualized as a correlogram

using the Python programming language (version 3.13) with the

matplotlib and seaborn libraries. Signicance levels are indicated as

follows: * P ≤ 0.05 and ** P ≤ 0.01.

Results and discussion

Analysis of variance revealed signicant varietal dierences

for most traits, except bulb height (Table 2), indicating substantial

diversity among the evaluated garlic varieties, in agreement with

previous reports (Tesfaye et al., 2023; Popa and Cosmuleseu, 2024).

Table 2. Mean squares from analysis of variance for quantitative

morphological variables.

Variable

Variety

(df=9)

Error

(df=40-90)

Signicance

Leaf number 1.85 0.27 ***

Leaf length (cm) 35.39 6.48 ***

Leaf surface (cm²) 277.42 82.25 **

Bulb weight (g) 192.89 60.52 **

Bulb height (mm) 26.40 15.07 ns

Bulb diameter (mm) 37.69 7.94 ***

Clove number 11.71 5.41 *

Clove weight (g) 5.40 2.44 *

Clove height (mm) 37.72 8.34 ***

Clove diameter (mm) 47.07 3.76 ***

***: P < 0.001; **: P < 0.01; *: P < 0.05; ns: not signicant; df: degrees of freedom.

For leaf characteristics (Table 3), the variety Rose de Chine had

the highest leaf number (9.4 ± 0.52), while Rouge Local recorded the

lowest (7.9 ± 0.32). This variation could be due to the dierent genetic

constitution of genotypes or to physiological processes inuenced

by environmental factors (Pasupula et al., 2024). Given the direct

relationship between leaf number and the plant’s photosynthetic

capacity, genotypes with a greater number of leaves are likely to

demonstrate enhanced physiological performance (Aslam et al.,

2025). Regarding leaf length, Rouge Local obtained the highest value

(53.23 ± 2.03 cm) and Fructidor the lowest (45.03 ± 2.04 cm). For

leaf surface area, Rose de Chine recorded the maximum (97.61 ± 0.59

cm²) and Rouge d’Iran the minimum (72.05 ± 4.91 cm²).

Table 3. Mean values of leaf characteristics for the ten evaluated

varieties.

Variety Leaf number Length (cm) Surface (cm²)

Rouge Local 7.9 ± 0.32 e 53.23 ± 2.03 a 88.48 ± 9.9 ab

Thermidrome 8.6 ± 0.7 bc 51.94 ± 3.21 abc 83.64 ± 10.53 bcde

Germidour 8.3 ± 0.67 cde 52.1 ± 2.15 abc 86.26 ± 5.31 abc

Fructidor 8.9 ± 0.57 b 45.03 ± 2.04 e 73.80 ± 2.45 de

Rouge d’Iran 8.3 ± 0.48 cde 47.51 ± 2.86 de 72.05 ± 4.91 e

Rouge d’Espagne 8.1 ± 0.32 de 49.76 ± 2.98 bcd 83.14 ± 14.66 bcde

Simple Californie 8.4 ± 0.52 cd 49.11 ± 2 cd 82.66 ± 8.92 bcde

Mocta Bulgare 8.4 ± 0.52 cd 48.43 ± 1.21 d 76.77 ± 8.29 cde

Messidrome 8.2 ± 0.42 cde 48.14 ± 4.23 de 84.28 ± 13.84 bcd

Rose de Chine 9.4 ± 0.52 a 52.79 ± 1.04 ab 97.61 ± 0.59 a

Dierent letters indicate signicant dierences (P < 0.05) according to LSD test.

Regarding bulb and clove characteristics (Table 4), the variety

Messidrome stood out with the highest bulb weight (54.45 ± 8.75 g),

while Rose de Chine had the lowest (42.17 ± 11.52 g). According to

Jia et al. (2023), bulb weight is among the most important agronomic

traits in garlic, showing signicant genetic architecture with multiple

associated SNPs. Bulb weight variation can also be explained by the

greater photosynthetic area resulting from higher leaf number and

larger leaf surface, which enhances carbon assimilation and promotes

biomass accumulation that is subsequently translocated to the bulb

(Goyal et al., 2025). However, in Rose de Chine, despite its good

foliage vigor, bulb weight was the lowest recorded, which may reect

a preferential allocation of assimilates toward vegetative organs rather

than storage structures, a source–sink partitioning pattern previously

reported in garlic genotypes with high leaf area index (Parreño et al.,

2023). Bulb diameter varied from 48.27 ± 3.62 mm (Mocta Bulgare)

to 52.69 ± 3.99 mm (Messidrome), values consistent with those

reported by Karaman et al. (2022) in Turkish garlic genotypes. Clove

weight ranged from 4.69 ± 0.8 g (Rouge d’Espagne) to 7.19 ± 2.86

g (Rouge Local). The number of cloves per bulb varied from 9.83 ±

1.72 (Rouge Local) to 14.17 ± 2.93 (Fructidor), a dierence probably

due to specic genes of each cultivar (Tesfaye et al., 2023).

Correlation analysis among agro-morphological traits of

garlic cultivars

A signicant negative correlation was observed between bulb

weight and leaf number (r= -0.762) (Figure 1), indicating that during

the garlic life cycle, when bulb maturation begins, foliage regression

occurs. A signicant negative correlation was also found between

clove number and weight (r= -0.832) (Figure 1), meaning that

increased clove weight leads to a decrease in number, in agreement

with Polyzos et al. (2019) and Pasupula et al. (2024). The signicant

positive correlation between clove weight and diameter (r= 0.640)

(Figure 1) indicates that larger clove size leads to higher weight.

This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.

Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264326 April-June ISSN 2477-9409.

4-4 |

Table 4. Mean values of bulb and clove characteristics for the ten evaluated varieties.

Variety Bulb weight (g) Bulb diameter (mm) Clove weight (g) Clove no.

Rouge Local 53.98 ± 7.4 a 51.78 ± 2.91 ab 7.19 ± 2.86 a 9.83 ± 1.72 c

Thermidrome 47.7 ± 7.2 abc 48.39 ± 2.88 bc 4.71 ± 0.87 c 12.33 ± 0.52 abc

Germidour 52.72 ± 5.52 ab 51.6 ± 2.53 abc 5.67 ± 1.17 abc 11.5 ± 2.43 abc

Fructidor 46.81 ± 8.06 bc 51.74 ± 5.22 ab 4.69 ± 0.8 c 14.17 ± 2.93 a

Rouge d’Iran 53.68 ± 5.59 ab 51.95 ± 3.79 a 5.79 ± 1.17 abc 11 ± 1.67 bc

Rouge d’Espagne 49.04 ± 6.08 abc 50.23 ± 3.13 abc 4.7 ± 1.21 c 13.17 ± 2.86 ab

Simple Californie 52.22 ± 8.05 ab 52.26 ± 3.56 a 5.18 ± 0.9 c 13.17 ± 0.75 ab

Mocta Bulgare 44.05 ± 7.99 c 48.27 ± 3.62 c 6.9 ± 2.5 ab 11 ± 2.83 bc

Messidrome 54.45 ± 8.75 a 52.69 ± 3.99 a 5.33 ± 0.79 bc 13.83 ± 3.13 a

Rose de Chine 42.17 ± 11.52 c 49.5 ± 5.83 abc 5.66 ± 1.71 abc 12.67 ± 2.66 ab

diam.: bulb diameter; Clove no.: number of cloves per bulb; g: grams; mm: millimeters. Dierent letters within the same column indicate signicant dierences (P < 0.05) according to the Least

Signicant Dierence (LSD) test.

Conclusions

The agro-morphological evaluation of ten garlic cultivars grown

under semi-arid climate in Algeria reveals signicant genetic variability

dependent on genetic constitution and agroclimatic conditions. The

varieties Rose de Chine, Rouge Local, and Germidour stand out for

their foliage vigor, representing a potentially interesting trait for further

valorization studies. The variety Messidrome shows better performance

in bulb weight and diameter, making it economically advantageous

for producers. Mocta Bulgare presents the best clove dimensions and

weight, highlighting its interest for culinary and commercial purposes.

This morphological characterization constitutes a starting point for

selection and breeding programs, as well as for the regeneration and

conservation of local garlic germplasm adapted to semi-arid conditions

through modern techniques such as in vitro culture.

Figure 1. Pearson correlation heatmap of agro-morphological

traits measured in ten garlic (Allium sativum L.) cultivars

grown under semi-arid conditions.

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