Articles
Rose breeding research in Europe: facts and challenges
Article number
1461_8
Pages
67 – 74
Language
English
Abstract
Western Europe has a long and rich tradition in garden and cut rose cultivation, breeding and research.
However, due to the higher energy and labour costs in Europe, the production of cut roses for the European market moved to Africa and partly to South America.
Following the production also selection and breeding activities are increasingly outsourced to these new production areas.
For garden roses production areas shifted more towards eastern European countries because labour costs are lower there.
Despite the partial delocalization of cultivation and breeding, there are still private, academic and government knowledge centres for cut and garden roses in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Great Britain and Belgium.
In rose breeding programs, numerous new and existing challenges have to be tackled: changing market trends, the urgent need for increased (a)biotic stress resistance, and the development of cultivars adapted to the changing environmental requirements.
Market trends include novelty and flower quality.
Resistance to diseases and insects is gaining interest.
Besides for cut roses, different growing areas have also a regional need for cultivars that perform well under local climatic conditions.
At ILVO in Belgium, we focus on some aspects of rose breeding and on specialized breeding techniques.
The main breeding goals that have been investigated are resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors such as powdery mildew resistance and winter hardiness.
In addition, ILVO focuses on how roses can play a role in preserving natural biodiversity in gardens.
Breeding techniques include the introduction of drone technology and image analysis for phenotyping and bioassays for the evaluation of disease resistance.
Furthermore, we are evaluating the effect of rol-genes on the phenotype and/or production of roses.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration with industrial partners and research institutions, ILVO contributes significantly to the advancement of rose breeding, striving to develop roses that are not only commercially viable but also environmentally friendly.
Looking ahead, the future of rose breeding lies in integrating today’s technologies with traditional breeding methods to meet the changing demands of tomorrow’s horticultural sector while ensuring sustainability and biodiversity.
However, due to the higher energy and labour costs in Europe, the production of cut roses for the European market moved to Africa and partly to South America.
Following the production also selection and breeding activities are increasingly outsourced to these new production areas.
For garden roses production areas shifted more towards eastern European countries because labour costs are lower there.
Despite the partial delocalization of cultivation and breeding, there are still private, academic and government knowledge centres for cut and garden roses in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Great Britain and Belgium.
In rose breeding programs, numerous new and existing challenges have to be tackled: changing market trends, the urgent need for increased (a)biotic stress resistance, and the development of cultivars adapted to the changing environmental requirements.
Market trends include novelty and flower quality.
Resistance to diseases and insects is gaining interest.
Besides for cut roses, different growing areas have also a regional need for cultivars that perform well under local climatic conditions.
At ILVO in Belgium, we focus on some aspects of rose breeding and on specialized breeding techniques.
The main breeding goals that have been investigated are resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors such as powdery mildew resistance and winter hardiness.
In addition, ILVO focuses on how roses can play a role in preserving natural biodiversity in gardens.
Breeding techniques include the introduction of drone technology and image analysis for phenotyping and bioassays for the evaluation of disease resistance.
Furthermore, we are evaluating the effect of rol-genes on the phenotype and/or production of roses.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration with industrial partners and research institutions, ILVO contributes significantly to the advancement of rose breeding, striving to develop roses that are not only commercially viable but also environmentally friendly.
Looking ahead, the future of rose breeding lies in integrating today’s technologies with traditional breeding methods to meet the changing demands of tomorrow’s horticultural sector while ensuring sustainability and biodiversity.
Authors
J. Van Huylenbroeck, L. Ouyang, L. Leus
Keywords
biotic stress resistance, cold hardiness, Ri-technology, image analysis, phenotyping
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