Articles
IMPROVEMENT OF WARATAHS (TELOPEA SPP.) THROUGH BREEDING
Article number
602_16
Pages
119 – 122
Language
English
Abstract
Waratahs (Telopea spp.) are still largely undeveloped despite their increasing importance to the Australian cut flower industry.
In order to develop an understanding of the requirements of a waratah breeding program, the following areas were investigated at the Mount Annan Botanic Garden in New South Wales, Australia:
1. The breeding system of Telopea speciosissima to determine the potential and optimum strategies for manipulation;
2. The variation within and between natural populations of Telopea speciosissima;
3. The commercially important characters in current cultivars of Telopea spp. and the potential for improving these cultivars through inter- and intra-specific breeding;
4. The genetic basis of a range of biologically and commercially important characters in waratahs.
This information is useful for breeding for specific trait combinations in waratahs and field-testing.
A review of this work and recommendations for further research and development are presented.
In order to develop an understanding of the requirements of a waratah breeding program, the following areas were investigated at the Mount Annan Botanic Garden in New South Wales, Australia:
1. The breeding system of Telopea speciosissima to determine the potential and optimum strategies for manipulation;
2. The variation within and between natural populations of Telopea speciosissima;
3. The commercially important characters in current cultivars of Telopea spp. and the potential for improving these cultivars through inter- and intra-specific breeding;
4. The genetic basis of a range of biologically and commercially important characters in waratahs.
This information is useful for breeding for specific trait combinations in waratahs and field-testing.
A review of this work and recommendations for further research and development are presented.
Publication
Authors
C. Offord
Keywords
hybridisation, stigma receptivity, pollen viability, genetic diversity
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