INHERITANCE OF DETERMINANTS OF FLOWER COLOUR IN TETRAPLOID ROSES

The choice of selection breeding for crop improvement in cut roses requires a better understanding of biological mechanisms and knowledge of the inheritance of the major target traits which can lead to new or improved screening methods.
Colour is still the most important trait in cut roses.
A tetraploid mapping population will be characterized for flower colour, by using colour charts such as the official chart of the Royal Horticultural Society, and additionally, by image analysis and measuring reflectance using a spectrocolorimeter.
The genetics of flower colour will be studied.
In addition, flower petals of all genotypes will be analysed by HPLC to characterize secondary metabolic components that determine flower colour, such as anthocyanins.
The inheritance of these components will also be assessed and compared to that of flower colour.
Preliminary results show that the most effective method to quantify colour is by HPLC analysis of the extracted anthocyanins.
The highest pelargonidin concentrations occur at relatively low cyanidin concentrations.
Absorbance and reflectance measurements illustrate the accumulated effect of all the individual antho¬cyanins present in the petal.

XXIII International Eucarpia Symposium, Section Ornamentals: Colourful Breeding and Genetics

V.W. Gitonga, R. Stolker, S. Ribot, P. Keizer, C.F.S. Koning-Boucoiran, F.A. Krens

Rosa, anthocyanins, flower pigments, HPLC, RHS colour chart, reflectance

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2009.836.7