2017 ASHS Annual Conference
An Overview of Ornamental Plant Breeding in China
An Overview of Ornamental Plant Breeding in China
Friday, September 22, 2017
Kona Ballroom (Hilton Waikoloa Village)
China, called “Mother of Gardens” by Ernest Wilson, has rich germplasm resources of ornamental plants, which provide excellent materials for development of new varieties. During the past 30 years, the ornamental industry has developed rapidly with increasing production of ornamental plants. Meanwhile, the discovery and utilization of the germplasms have been developed increasingly. More than 1,000 species of wild flowers are used in landscapes and in indoor environment, and nearly 100 species have been introduced as new flower crops, such as Primula forbesii, Primula maximowiczii, Conandron ramondioides and Limonium bicolor . Breeding with these specific germplasms in China, breakthroughs have been made in Prunus mume, Paeonia suffruticosa, Rosa chinensis, Chrysanthemum morifolium, Lilium, Lagerstroemia indica and Cymbidium . A highly efficient breeding technology system has been established and a group of new flower varieties have been released, which make a great contribution for the progress of China’s ornamental industry. Furthermore, the whole genome sequencing work on many ornamental plants, including Prunus mume, Phalaenopsis equestris and Nelumbo nucifera have been completed. Molecular analyses have been done on important traits such as floral scent, plant type, flowering characteristics and resistance, which lay a foundation for the breeding of these ornamental plants at the molecular level.