Ornamental Breeding Research Articles

Advancement in Propagation, Breeding, Cultivation, and Marketing of Ornamentals

Ornamental horticulture is an important branch of horticulture addressed to grow and market plants or cut flowers used for decorative purposes and landscape design [...]

Morphological, Histological and Genetic Evaluation of Gamma Radiation-Induced Mutation and Its Potential Application in Rudbeckia hirta (L.)

Many cultivars of annual ornamental horticulture have great phenotypic qualities but are less tolerant to the effects of current climate change and urbanization. A good example of this in Hungarian ornamental breeding is the Rudbeckia hirta cultivar “Őszifény”. The objective of this study was to determine whether gamma mutation breeding (using 5 Gy, 10 Gy, 30 Gy doses) can be employed to enhance genetic variability and create mutants with novel trait values. Furthermore, it is important to ascertain whether the altered genetic traits are proportionate to the observed changes in phenotype. As an original and innovative aspect of the research, this will assist in establishing appropriate dose rates for the species. Changes induced by gamma radiation have been mapped using morphological, histological, and genetic methods. The radiation dose of 5 Gy resulted in plants with the most favorable characteristics, including significant increases in branching and flower number. Additionally, the phenomenon of hormesis was observed. Beyond these, the dose of 30 Gy also had a significant effect because it resulted in plants with many flowers and bushy habits, making them suitable for use as ornamental potted plants. The 10 Gy dose resulted in a heterogeneous stand but showed the greatest genetic variation. These results may contribute to future breeding work and may pave the way for further urban application of R. hirta in the light of urbanization.

The first high-quality genome assembly and annotation of Lantana camara, an important ornamental plant and a major invasive species

This study presents the first annotated, haplotype-resolved, chromosome-scale genome of Lantana camara, a flowering shrub native to Central America and known for its dual role as an ornamental plant and an invasive species. Despite its widespread cultivation and ecological impact, the lack of a high-quality genome has hindered the investigation of traits of both ornamental and invasive. This research bridges the gap in genomic resources for L. camara, which is crucial for both ornamental breeding programs and invasive species management. Whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing were utilized to elucidate the genetic complexity of a diploid L. camara breeding line UF-T48. The genome was assembled de novo using HiFi and Hi-C reads, resulting in two phased genome assemblies with high Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) scores of 97.7%, indicating their quality. All 22 chromosomes were assembled with pseudochromosomes averaging 117 Mb. The assemblies revealed 29 telomeres and an extensive presence of repetitive sequences, primarily long terminal repeat transposable elements. The genome annotation identified 83,775 protein-coding genes, with 83% functionally annotated. In particular, the study mapped 42 anthocyanin and carotenoid candidate gene clusters and 12 herbicide target genes to the assembly, identifying 38 genes spread across the genome that are integral to flower color development and 53 genes for herbicide targeting in L. camara. This comprehensive genomic study not only enhances the understanding of L. camara’s genetic makeup but also sets a precedent for genomic research in the Verbenaceae family, offering a foundation for future studies in plant genetics, conservation, and breeding.

Pigment matters: Behavior and lateralization of albino and pigmented fish (Bronze Corydoras) in aquaculture

Animal welfare science recognizes fish as sentient beings capable of experiencing pain, stress, and various emotions. As social interactions and mutual relationships are essential for fish welfare, the social environment in aquacultures is important for fish welfare. Pigmentation influences fish social behavior, e.g., communication and/or shoaling behavior. We investigated how pigmentation and shoal phenotypic composition affect locomotor activity in relation to feeding, exploratory behavior, sheltering and lateralization in holding tanks and Y-mazes in pigmented and albino Bronze Corydoras (Corydoras aeneus). The fish were divided into three treatment groups: pigm only, alb only, and mix groups. Each group comprised 12 shoals, with a total of 288 fish distributed across 36 shoals, each containing eight individuals. The study revealed behavioral differences between fish with pigmented and albino phenotypes, both within and among shoals. For both phenotypes, an increase in locomotor activity before feeding was followed by a decrease in activity after food consumption, indicating an anticipatory response and a shift from foraging to postfeeding behavior. In the mixed shoals, pigmented fish exhibited greater activity and sheltering behavior than albino fish. Both albino and pigmented fish showed lateralization toward the right arm of the Y-maze; however, in the mixed shoals, the preference for the right arm was not significant. Albino fish reached the shelter at the end of the Y-maze more often; however, in the mixed shoals, albino fish maintained their success rate in exploring the maze, while pigmented fish showed an increased success rate. We emphasize the significance of considering phenotypic variation and shoal composition when evaluating fish behavior and welfare. Such insights can inform the management of practices in aquaculture and ornamental breeding to ensure optimal fish welfare and enhance their overall quality of life.

Breeding of ornamental orchids with focus on Phalaenopsis: current approaches, tools, and challenges for this century.

Ornamental orchid breeding programs have been conducted to develop commercially valuable cultivars with improved characteristics of commercial interest, such as size, flower color, pattern, shape, and resistance to pathogens. Conventional breeding, including sexual hybridization followed by selection of desirable characteristics in plants, has so far been the main method for ornamental breeding, but other techniques, including mutation induction by polyploidization and gamma irradiation, and biotechnological techniques, such as genetic transformation, have also been studied and used in ornamental breeding programs. Orchids are one of the most commercially important families in floriculture industry, having very particular reproductive biology characteristics and being a well-studied group of ornamentals in terms of genetic improvement. The present review focuses on the conventional and biotechnological techniques and approaches specially employed in breeding Phalaenopsis orchids, the genus with highest worldwide importance as an ornamental orchid, highlighting the main limitations and strengths of the approaches. Furthermore, new opportunities and future prospects for ornamental breeding in the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing era are also discussed. We conclude that conventional hybridization remains the most used method to obtain new cultivars in orchids. However, the emergence of the first biotechnology-derived cultivars, as well as the new biotechnological tools available, such as CRISPR-Cas9, rekindled the full potential of biotechnology approaches and their importance for improve ornamental orchid breeding programs.

Cross compatibility and endogenous phytohormone profiles in interspecific hybridization between Iris tectorum and Iris germanica

In order to introduce new valuable trait to other species, the interspecific hybridization is used in ornamental breeding. The success of interspecific hybridization is hindered by incompatibility occurring at various stages of hybridization. To character the barriers of interspecific hybridization between Iris tectorum and Iris germanica cultivars, this study investigated the compatibility of pre-fertilization and post-fertilization, and profiles of endogenous phytohormones in ovary of self-pollination and interspecific hybridization. After pollination, pollen tubes germinated, grew through style, and entered ovules in both self-pollination and interspecific hybridization. Thus, the interspecific incompatibility between I. tectorum and I. germanica cultivars were not caused by pre-fertilization barrier. The observations of embryo and endosperm development revealed that incompatibility of interspecific-hybridization occurred at post-fertilization stage during the development of the embryo. The degeneration of endosperms was observed at 15 days after pollination and no embryo was observed in the interspecific hybridization. The abnormal development of embryos and endosperms indicates that reproductive barriers between I. tectorum and I. germanica cultivars happened at post-fertilization stage. To character the profiles of endogenous phytohormones in the ovary of self-pollination and interspecific hybridization, concentration of auxins, cytokinins (CKs), gibberellins (GAs), abscisic acid (ABA), Jasmonate (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and their derivatives were analyzed by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The results showed concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and bioactive free based of CKs were highest in ovary of I. tectorum self-pollination (IT-Self), which has normally developed embryos and endosperms. Four bioactive forms of GAs were identified in this study, while the patterns of their concentration changes were not constant among different materials. Besides, the concentration of ABA was highest in unfertilized ovary of I. tectorum (IT-CK). According to the profiles of endogenous phytohormones, the abnormal development of embryos in interspecific hybridization might be caused by the low concentration of IAA and CKs, proper concentration of these phytohormone could be added into in vitro culture medium to rescue embryos of interspecific hybridization. The investigation of cross compatibility and endogenous phytohormone profiles in this study will provide insight for overcoming the barrier of interspecific hybridization and embryo rescue in Iris genus.

Results of clinical and hematological examination in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts

The article presents the results of a clinical and hematological study of data obtained from dogs, mainly small ornamental breeds, with subsequently confirmed portosystemic shunts. As a result of the work, it was determined that all animals had a disorder of the nervous system, which was the reason for their owners to contact the veterinary clinic to examine the pets. Thus, according to the results of the analysis of the anamnesis and during the full-time clinical examination, tremor, ataxia, impaired consciousness, apathy, play movements, auto-aggression and causeless aggression or vocalization, mydriasis were observed in sick dogs. A laboratory blood test revealed a number of signs indicating the possible presence of portosystemic vascular anomalies in the examined dogs, namely, hypoproteinemia (48.4±3.094 g/l) with dysproteinemia, an increase in the activity of ALT, AST and alkaline phosphatase enzymes up to 188.2±85.573 IU/l, 121.5±20.061 IU/l and 514.6±110.851 IU/l, respectively. A pronounced increase in the concentration of bile acids in the blood before and after feeding was also noted, up to 82.5±16.57 µmol/l and 155.4±26.103 µmol/l, respectively. An analysis of the results of a morphological blood test showed the presence of such nonspecific changes as hypochromic anemia (hemoglobin concentration was 129.3 ± 5.631 g/l) and leukocytosis (the number of leukocytes in the blood of sick dogs was 17.7 ± 2.586*109 /l). Thus, we can conclude that the complex of clinical and laboratory studies carried out may be sufficient for the differential diagnosis of portosystemic vascular anomalies in dogs, but, nevertheless, the final diagnosis is possible only with the use of instrumental diagnostic methods.

Prediction Model for Breeding Hardy Geraniums

Key message. The success of interspecific hybridization in hardy geranium (Geranium sp.) can be predicted by considering the genetic distance between parental genotypes and using the logistic regression model developed in this study. Hardy geranium is a popular ornamental plant known for its architecture, hardiness, prolonged flowering, and diverse colors in leaves and flowers. In ornamental breeding, the pursuit of novel trait combinations is never-ending. Even in Geranium, certain combinations of valuable traits have not yet been achieved. Interspecific hybridization can increase diversity; however, success remains low due to pre- and postzygotic barriers. Crossing success can be predicted by response criteria such as pollen tube growth (tube_length), seed development (seed_dev), and seed setting (seed_set). Within a collection of 42 Geranium genotypes and during two consecutive breeding seasons (years), we evaluated tube_length, seed_dev, and seed_set for 150, 1155, and 349 crosses, respectively. These crosses varied in four parental differences (variables): chromosome number (Chrom), DNA/chromosome (DNA), style length (Style), and genetic distance expressed as the Jaccard distance (cJaccard = 1 − Jaccard). Using logistic regression models has confirmed that most often, the success rate decreased with increasing parental distance. The most consistent association was seen in seed_dev in combination with cJaccard. The model was used to predict the number of crosses necessary to have 10 successful crossing products by taking into account the uncertainty in the model. These findings provide valuable guidance for future planning of interspecific breeding experiments in Geranium. By incorporating the genetic distance between parental genotypes, breeders can enhance the efficiency and success of hybridization efforts.

Creating novel ornamentals via new strategies in the era of genome editing.

Ornamental breeding has traditionally focused on improving novelty, yield, quality, and resistance to biotic or abiotic stress. However, achieving these goals has often required laborious crossbreeding, while precise breeding techniques have been underutilized. Fortunately, recent advancements in plant genome sequencing and editing technology have opened up exciting new frontiers for revolutionizing ornamental breeding. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of ornamental transgenic breeding and propose four promising breeding strategies that have already proven successful in crop breeding and could be adapted for ornamental breeding with the help of genome editing. These strategies include recombination manipulation, haploid inducer creation, clonal seed production, and reverse breeding. We also discuss in detail the research progress, application status, and feasibility of each of these tactics.

Differences among domestic chicken breeds in tonic immobility responses as a measure of fearfulness.

One priority for animal welfare is for animals to experience less fear, especially during human contact. For domestic animals, breeds that are less fearful may provide genetic resources to develop strains with improved welfare due to lower susceptibility to fear. Genetic predispositions inherited in these breeds might reflect the large diversity of chicken breeds. The goal of the present study was to systematically test a diverse group of chicken breeds to search for breeds that experience less fear. Nineteen chicken breeds from commercial hybrid lines, native layer-type, meat-type and dual-purpose breeds, ornamental breeds as well as bantam breeds were tested in a standardized tonic immobility (TI) test. Chickens were manually restrained on their back, and the time to first head movement and first leg movement, the duration of TI, as well as the number of attempts needed to induce TI were measured. The TI response differed among chicken breeds (p≤0.001) for naïve, mature hens. The median number of attempts required to induce TI ranged from 1 to 2 and did not differ significantly among breeds. Median durations were much more variable, with Lohmann Brown showing shortest durations (6 s, 12 s, 58 s for time to first head movement, first leg movement and total duration of TI, respectively). In contrast, medians reached the maximum of 600 s for all three measures in German Creepers. Repeated tests on the same individuals did not affect attempts needed to induce TI nor TI durations. Breeds clustered into two main groups, with layer-type native breeds and ornamental breeds having longer TI durations, and bantam, dual-purpose and meat-type native breeds having shorter TI durations. Our findings provide evidence for substantial variation of fearfulness among breeds. This variation could be linked to the intended use during the breed's specific history. Knowledge and quantitative measurement of these behavioural responses provide the opportunity to improve welfare through selection and future breeding.

Characterization and utilization of DNA based markers for selective breeding of ornamentals: Hippeastrum/Amaryllis

Characterization and utilization of DNA based markers for selective breeding of ornamentals: Hippeastrum/Amaryllis

Deviations of exterior characters from breedingDeviations of exterior characters from breeding standards of chicken – part II: miniature and ornamental breeds standards of chicken – part II: miniature and ornamental breeds

The work is aimed at evaluating exterior features, advantages and shortcomings in comparison with breeding standards in 5 breeds of ornamental and diminutive poultry. A total of 296 individuals of the Brahma Bantam (BB), Silkie Chicken (SE), Pekin Bantam (PB), Orpington Bantam (OP) and Sultan Chicken (SL) breeds, were evaluated at 9 exhibitions in 5 positions according to a valid Standards. Most exterior deficiencies were recorded in the top three positions. In the first position – Breeding and sexual expression, the most common mistakes were lower weight (BB 34.5 %, and SL 26.5 %), too long torso (BB 37.1 %, and OB 31.3 %) as well as higher weight in SE (34.1 %). In the second position – Head, the most shortcomings were noted in the BB, and SE breeds, these were mainly non-standard feathering of the facial part in BB (30.2 %), non-standard shape of the comb in BB (25.9 %), and SE (19.3 %) as well as the overall formation of the head in the SE (23.9 %). In the third position - Body shape, deficiencies were noted in OB (31.3 %), PB (26.9 %), and the most deficiencies in tail plumage were in OB (23.7 %), and SE (22.7 %) as well as atypical torso shape in BB (24.1 %) and SE (22.7 %). Within these three positions, individuals with knockout defects also appeared, but this was only an isolated occurrence. In the fourth position - Feathers, it was mainly an uneven distribution of colour on the flight feathers at SE (17.1 %), and OB (21.9 %) and sparse plumage at PB (15.4 %), OB (15.6 %), and SL (14.7 %). For the fifth position - Readiness for the exhibition, care of the breeder, it was a lack of preparation and dirty feathers at BB (1.7 %) and SL (5.2 %). The most serious deficiencies of the breed traits were found in 1st and 3rd position, which has a major impact on their further breeding value or culling. As part of the selection of the most suitable representatives of the breed with an assessment of their exterior at exhibitions, it is possible to create a breeding with the highest quality exterior signs with the appropriate performance. The data obtained from poultry valuation cards show that the assessment of poultry is one of the important criteria for their introduction into the holding and further reproduction in order to eliminate individuals with morphological deviations from the breeding standard, who can pass on these defects to future generations.

Recent advances in marine ornamental breeding and seed production at Vizhinjam Regional Centre of CMFRI India

The marine ornamental fish trading industry is an ever-expanding one, as indicated by its bolstering statistics, which amount to about US$ 300 million. Although the trade is booming, the natural habitats that foster these fishes, such as coral reefs, are steadily declining. One of the reasons for this is the overdependency of the industry on wild-caught fishes. To surpass this, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has developed hatchery technology for breeding marine ornamental fishes such as seahorses, clownfishes, damsels, and serranids. It began with the breeding of Hippocampus kuda. This progressed to breeding clownfishes such as Amphiprion chrysogaster, A. ocellaris, A. nigripes, A. peridarion, and A. ephippium and Premnas biaculeatus. Damsel fishes that were bred successfully include Chrysiptera cyanea, C. hemicyanea Neopomacentrus cyanomos, N. nemurus, and Dascyllus carneus. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) designed in the Vizhinjam Regional Centre of CMFRI is being used for broodstock development of serranids, tangs, squirrel fishes, and soldier fishes. A standard method was developed for captive breeding and hatchery rearing of anthias Pseudanthias marcia and P. squamipinnis in an advanced indigenous RAS system. The present article provides a bird’s eye view of the important research work done in India concerning marine ornamental fish breeding and reviews important breeding work carried out at Vizhinjam Regional Centre of CMFRI.

Melhoramento de plantas ornamentais: entrando em uma nova era?

Abstract During the last century, plant breeding of crops and ornamentals has become an important business. Mendel’s principles of inheritance of traits laid the foundation of today’s modern genetics. Although intra- and interspecific cross breeding, chromosome doubling and mutation breeding still form the cornerstone of ornamental plant breeding, the speed of plant breeding has significantly increased since Mendel’s time. New genomic tools now offer possibilities for advanced precision breeding and selection towards more difficult to assess or quantitative traits. Today’s ornamental plant breeding is a complicated exercise, characterized by new and rapidly-changing challenges. Partnerships between industry and research will be essential to implement available technologies in minor crops.

Parasitas gastrintestinais em galinhas de raças ornamentais de um criatório particular na cidade Juiz de Fora, Brasil

To evaluate the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in chickens of ornamental breeds from a private farm located in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Fecal samples were collected from the animals individually, collecting the feces right after defecation. The collections were carried out in September 2018. The samples were packed in sterile plastic containers, identified and sent to the Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases of the Centro Universitário de Valença (UNIFAA), for analysis by the simple centrifuge-float technique. Two genera of helminths, Capillaria spp. and Ascaridia spp., and the protozoan Eimeria spp. It can be concluded that the gastrointestinal parasites found in the ornamental chickens studied did not differ from the endoparasites found in conventional free-range chickens. Coproparasitological exams are an excellent, fast and cheap way to verify/identify parasitic forms, which, once diagnosed, must be fought so that they do not compromise the health of the animals, especially in cases of ornamental birds that, because they are less rustic, may be more sensitive to parasites.

The More Fractal the Architecture the More Intensive the Color of Flower: A Superpixel-Wise Analysis towards High-Throughput Phenotyping

A breeder can select a visually appealing phenotype, whether for ornamentation or landscaping. However, the organic vision is not accurate and objective, making it challenging to bring a reliable phenotyping intervention into implementation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop an innovative solution to predict the intensity of the flower’s color upon the external shape of the crop. We merged the single linear iterative clustering (SLIC) algorithm and box-counting method (BCM) into a framework to extract useful imagery data for biophysical modeling. Then, we validated our approach by fitting Gompertz function to data on intensity of flower’s color and fractal dimension (SD) of the architecture of white-flower, yellow-flower, and red-flower varieties of Portulaca umbraticola. The SLIC algorithm segmented the images into uniform superpixels, enabling the BCM to precisely capture the SD of the architecture. The SD ranged from 1.938315 to 1.941630, which corresponded to pixel-wise intensities of 220.85 and 47.15. Thus, the more compact the architecture the more intensive the color of the flower. The sigmoid Gompertz function predicted such a relationship at radj2 > 0.80. This study can provide further knowledge to progress the field’s prominence in developing breakthrough strategies toward improving the control of visual quality and breeding of ornamentals.

Recent progress in the ornamental pepper breeding in Indonesia

Recent progress in the ornamental pepper breeding in Indonesia

A view from above: the use of drones and image-based phenotyping in breeding and production of woody ornamentals

A view from above: the use of drones and image-based phenotyping in breeding and production of woody ornamentals

Mutation Breeding in Ornamentals

The promising possibilities of mutation breeding in ornamental plants have led to a great interest in effective mutagenic treatment protocols for various species. This review discusses mutagenic treatments of a large number of ornamental genera, the advantages and disadvantages of various techniques, and the possibilities of improving the associated protocols. A number of nontargeted mutagenesis methods are available, ranging from chemical treatment with alkylating agents to irradiation with X-rays, gamma rays, and neutron or heavy ion beams at various doses. These are all relatively inexpensive and have been proven to be effective mutagens in a large number of diverse species. Genetic engineering, however, remains mostly impractical for many ornamental breeding operations because of the high cost and lack of knowledge necessary to successfully transform and regenerate ornamental crops. Of the available nontargeted mutagens, irradiation with gamma rays is still the most popular. It provides high consistency compared with chemical mutagens, albeit at a seemingly lower mutagenic efficiency. Changes in the radiation dose rate may increase the efficiency, although chronic irradiation over a longer period causes fewer deleterious mutations than the commonly used acute irradiation protocols. Heavy ion beam irradiation may also provide highly consistent mutation induction at higher efficiencies because of the high particle energy associated with these treatments. There are also opportunities to improve chemical mutagenesis. Although the required knowledge of specific gene functions in many ornamentals is still lacking, combination mutagenesis with ethyl methanesulfontate with genetic screening in a process known as TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes) may lead to a powerful mutation breeding tool in the future. Mutation breeding is still very useful, and many opportunities are available to improve the existing methods.

Breeding of ornamentals: success and technological status

Breeding of ornamentals: success and technological status