Abstract: An efficient chimera formation method by tissue culture combined with grafting was studied in garlic（Allium sativum L.）. Garlic cultivars 'Acheng purple' garlic and Japanese 'Fukuchi' white garlic were used for intervarietal chimera formation. The stem discs were used as stock. The meristem-apexs of these cultivars bulb were used as scions. The Chimeric shoots were examined by RAPD（random amplified polymorphic DNA）. The results showed that the optimized medium for shooting was MS + NAA 0.1 mg·L^-1+ 2ip 0.4 mg·L^-1, and that for rooting was 1/2 MS +IBA 1.5 mg·L^-1. Chimeric shoots were obtained by grafted culture method on these media, resulting in 20 % formation. The result of RAPD-PCR using primer OPF-16 indicated that four grafting combination, i.e., white/purple, white·purple/purple, white·purple·/white, and purple/white, produced chimeras. The result of RAPD-PCR using primer OPJ-12 indicated that grafting combination of purple/white produced chimeras. Primer OPE-05 did not give a significant result.

Key words: garlic, Allium sativum L., in vitro, grafting, chimera, RAPD