ISHS Acta Horticulturae 812: III International Symposium on Acclimatization and Establishment of Micropropagated Plants
MICROPROPAGATION OF ORNAMENTAL PERENNIALS: PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS |
| Author: | J. Prakash |
| Keywords: | ornamental perennials, Heuchera, Hosta, Polemonium, international transport |
| Abstract:
The global trade of ornamental perennials and garden plants is in excess of 8 billion dollars per year and the United States of America alone accounts for over 2 billion dollars. Most of these ornamental perennials are slow to propagate by macro propagation, have large dormancy period and are regional climate sensitive. Due to this, the number of planting material of these crops at any region of the world is limited and often the demand exceeds the supplies, making them one of the most expensive plants in the horticulture trade. The Micropropagation of some of the perennials such as Dicentra, Actaea, Astrantia, Delphinium and Peonia has been a technical challenge for plant tissue culture scientists. However, crops like Hosta, Heuchera, Ligularia, Verbascum, Melittis, Sedum, Echinacea, Brunnera, Geranium and Polemonium have been multiplied by Micropropagation in large numbers by the commercial tissue culture laboratories. The acclimatization and establishment of Heuchera and Hosta have not been a major problem. Whereas, limited and varied degree of success were achieved in hardening and acclimatization of Ligularia, Verbascum, Melittis, Sedum, Echinacea, Brunnera, Geranium and Polemonium by different growers in Europe and USA. Some varieties of Hosta and Polemonium have also shown genetic reversion. In general, the micro propagated plants shipped in vitro have shown better survival rate than the plants shipped as ex-agar. The progress and problems in micropropagation, acclimatization, establishment and international transport of 15 different species of perennial ornamentals and garden plants will be discussed in detail. | |
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