Approaches and Perspectives towards Molecular Breeding of Orchids
Fure-Chyi Chen, G. Mangai Kasthuri, Yi-Jung Tsai, Jian-Zhi Huang, Wen-Li Lee, Roy Yuan-Hung Luo, Su-Feng Chiang, Ya-Huei Chen, Teen-Chi Cheng, Manju M. George
National Pingtung University of Science & Technology, Taiwan
Abstract

Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants and consist of more than 800 genera and 25,000 species of which many are of commercial importance. Phalaenopsis and Oncidium are two major and popular orchids grown for commercial production. The commodity of these orchids includes potted plant and cut flower production. Novelty is the driving force in ornamental plant industry. The novel forms (i.e.) variant cultivars or new flower colors, shapes, plant and inflorescence architecture, longer shelf life, fragrance modifications, disease and pest resistance are partly achieved through conventional sexual hybridization and can be amended by advancement and applications of gene transfer or genetic transformation mediated either by Agrobacterium tumefaciens or particle bombardment for the development of cultivars with novel or aesthetic properties as traditional breeding process aimed at genetic modification is always limited by long reproductive cycle and cross incompatibility.
This article summarizes personal views about Phalaenopsis and Oncidium research, the current state of art towards molecular breeding of orchids with reference to color mutants, flower color manipulation, control mechanism of flowering etc., and future perspectives on molecular breeding of economic orchids species.
Introduction

Orchidaceae is one of the largest families of flowering plants, which consists of more than 800 genera and 25,000 species of which many are of commercial importance. Phalaenopsis and onicidium are the two major and popular orchids grown for commercial production as cut flower and potted plants. Potted orchid plants have been the prime importance for agro industries world wide in recent years (Griesbach, 2002). Traditional breeding methods (i.e. continuous crossing and selection) have paved the way for the breeders to create new varieties that have desirable traits viz. color, shape, fragrance, plant architecture, vase life and resistance to disease and pests but this kind is the limited gene pool of any single species.

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