Growing evening primroses (Oenothera).

Stephan Greiner,Karin Köhl

doi:10.3389/fpls.2014.00038

Abstract

The model plant Oenothera has contributed significantly to the biological sciences and it dominated the early development of plant genetics, cytogenetics, and evolutionary biology. The great advantage of using Oenothera as a model system is a large body of genetic, cytological, morphological, and ecological information collected over more than a century. The Oenothera system offers a well-studied taxonomy, population structure, and ecology. Cytogenetics and formal genetics at the population level are extensively developed, providing an excellent basis to study evolutionary questions. Further, Oenothera is grown as an oil seed crop for the production of essential fatty acids (gamma-linoleic acid) and is considered to be a medicinal plant due to its many pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, such as ellagitannins. Although Oenothera has been cultivated as a laboratory organism since the end of the 19th century, there is a substantial lack of literature dealing with modern greenhouse techniques for the genus. This review compiles an overview about the growth requirements for the genus Oenothera, with a special focus on its genetically best-studied subsections Oenothera and Munzia. Requirements for greenhouse, field, and agronomic cultures are presented, together with information on substrate types, pest control, as well as vegetative and seed propagation, cross pollination, harvest, and seed storage. Particular aspects like germination, bolting, and flowering induction in taxonomically diverse material are reviewed. Methods recommended are supported by ecological and experimental data. An overview of the possibilities for wide hybridization and polyploidy induction in the genus is given. Germplasm resources are referenced. In summary, a comprehensive guideline for successful laboratory cultivation of Oenothera species is provided.

Highlights

INTRODUCTIONThe first reports on growing Oenothera (evening primrose, Onagraceae) coincide with the early rise of genetics
The first reports on growing Oenothera coincide with the early rise of genetics
Oenothera is exploited as a crop for the production of the essential gamma-linoleic fatty acid (Deng et al, 2001; Fieldsend, 2007)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The first reports on growing Oenothera (evening primrose, Onagraceae) coincide with the early rise of genetics. Relevant information was either published very early in the German literature, or was never published but passed on within schools of Oenothera workers. Most of these methods, only refer to field experiments and almost no reports cover modern greenhouse cultivation. Only refer to field experiments and almost no reports cover modern greenhouse cultivation This is in sharp contrast to a substantial and emerging literature describing crop management of Oenothera in agronomics. Originated in the Americas, some of its species adapt and the genus includes nearly cosmopolitan and endemic taxa (Wagner et al, 2007). This results in a huge diversification, e.g., in the requirements for flower

Greiner and Köhl

Foil greenhouse

Findings

Substrate Fertilizer Plants per container