Genetic Modification in Floriculture

Abstract

An important driving force for the floriculture industry is the development of novel plants and flowers. New varieties provide marketing opportunities for retailers and judicious selection can increase productivity for growers, as well as improving the quality of the final product in the consumer's hands. While plant exploration and conventional breeding programs have been very successful in achieving these goals, genetic modification offers additional routes for the generation of new varieties of important floricultural plants. This can be achieved by the incorporation of genes from outside of the normally available gene pool. This paper provides a summary of the potential applications of gene technology in floriculture and reviews progress to date, with a particular emphasis on the manipulation of flower color. The manipulation of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in carnation to produce novel-colored flowers is so far the only commercial application of genetic modification in floriculture. This progress is in stark contrast to the widespread cultivation of genetically modified broad-acre crops. The commercial use of gene technology requires adherence to regulatory regimes specific to genetically modified plants, and compliance with intellectual property laws. These added complexities are a significant cost, which may be hampering the use of gene technology by breeders of floricultural crops. Another factor may be a perception that the public and retail trade may not accept genetically modified floricultural products. Experience in the real marketplace with the Florigene Moon-series™ of genetically modified carnation suggests that these concerns are unwarranted.