Abstract
Since 2006, a breeding programme for Hibiscus rosa-sinensis was established at CRA-FSO, Italy. The aim is to select specific cultivars suitable for pot plant production and well-adapted to the Mediterranean climate. A partial diallelic cross design (reciprocals without self-fecundations) was used to test crossing ability of the collected cultivars. However, only a limited number of cross combinations resulted in progenies with desirable characters. The first selected cultivars are presented. At the same time, we followed another approach to investigate whether desirable morphological modifications (plant size reduction for pot plant cultivation) could be obtained by transforming H. x rosa-sinensis with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. In vitro seedlings were used as sources of explants for the transformation experiments. Two A. rhizogenes strains (ATCC 15834 and NCPPB 1855) were used. Axenic hairy root cultures were established about 4 months after inoculation. Hairy roots grew vigorously on hormone free medium whereas normal roots did not. Transformed roots displayed a typical hairy root phenotype characterized by fast growth, high lateral branching and lack of geotropism. So far, after more than one year of cultivation, a clone of hairy root deriving from a cotyledon formed a friable yellowish callus at root node level and several adventitious buds are spontaneously regenerating from it.
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