Using Traditional and Biotechnological Breeding for New plant Development

摘要

The constant search for new forms and colors of plants for the horticultural industry is making the development of new cultivars a permanent endeavor. There exists a tremendous potential to introduce noncultivated species from nature and to breed newornamentals from these native species (Bridgen, 2001). There are several native Chilean geophytes that have potential as commercial and ornamental plants. Species such as Leucocoryne, Conanthera, Rhodophiala, Alstroemeria, and Zephyra could be bred and used as cut flower crops, potted plant crops, and garden flowers. The Chilean territory is an "ecological island" with geographical barriers that have isolated the biological communities from the rest of the continent and produced a high percentage of endemism. The Atacama Desert to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Andes Mountains to the east have made Chile one of the world's few biodiversity hotspots. Continental Chile is home to some 5,100 species, of which about 2,630 are endemic (Marticorena and Rodriguez, 1995). Such a proportion of endemism is one of the highest found in any region on Earth. Traditional breeding is still the most important source for releasing new cultivars to the market. However, there are several in vitro techniques that can be used to make traditional breeding quicker and more successful.