Garlic Ideotypes for Future Korean Climates

Climate change may alter which garlic traits are most useful for crop improvement. We used Garlic.jl, a process-based garlic crop growth model, to evaluate combinations of 13 growth and developmental traits under parameter backgrounds for two cultivars, Namdo and Daeseo, across six sowing dates and 10 Korean sites. Simulations compared dry bulb yield rankings under current and future climates using a common harvest date. Many combinations ranked highly under the current climate lost position under the strongest future projection, although yield differences among leading candidates were often small. Under future climates, maritime simulations suggested slower leaf initiation and longer leaf expansion duration, southern mainland environments favored long leaves with slower leaf tip appearance, and northern environments favored faster leaf initiation with slower appearance. The two cultivar backgrounds produced similar overall rankings but differed in some leading trait combinations. These findings can guide regional garlic breeding by identifying trait combinations and planting strategies to test under future cultivation environments.