2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Orchids represent 600-800 genera with close to 35,000 species. Tropical Guam has the perfect climate to grow them. Flowers are highly desired by residents and the 1.5 million tourists visiting the island every year. Over the last several decades, most of orchids that were being grown on Guam were imported from Hawaii and Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, detrimental viral diseases entered Guam with the imported plants infecting about 70% of existing orchid plants and causing their steady decline. Starting in 2012, the Guam Department of Agriculture initiated a tissue culture program aimed to eliminate diseased plants, significantly reduce Asian imports and to develop a sustainable production of disease free orchids on island. Within three years, the Tissue Culture Lab developed orchid production to such a level that the importation of diseased plants was largely reduced. Local nurseries and the general public were given the opportunity to replace their diseased plants with healthy ones. In addition, they were able to purchase inexpensive, well-developed seedlings of disease free orchids in large quantities. Harmful in-house propagation of diseased plants virtually ceased in nurseries and was greatly reduced in amateur growers. Additionally, several Guam residents (employed by the project) developed the skills of tissue culture propagation that gave them a competitive edge in this emerging job market. As a result of the program, hotels, restaurants, and Guam’s residents had a way to acquire healthy less expensive orchids so that millions of Guam visitors could experience more of the beauty the island has to offer.