Evaluation of genetic diversity of leek germplasm in Turkiye using biochemical characters

Turkiye has ranked second in world leek production for many years. Moreover, according to many literatures, it is located within the boundaries of the gene center. This study was conducted to evaluate the diversity of local leek genotypes in Turkiye in terms of biochemical characteristics. Fifty local leek genotypes from different regions of Turkiye, two open pollinated commercial cultivars and a hybrid commercial cultivar were used for the study. A total of twenty biochemical analyzes were performed. Analysis of variance of the results showed that the differences between genotypes were significant for all characteristics (p < 0.05). A post-hoc test (Tukey) and multiple comparison of means were performed to analyze the results between groups when significant differences were present. When the top three genotypes with the highest values for each characteristic were compared, 3AP19 emerged as the most outstanding genotype. The results indicate that important genetic material is available for further breeding.