Genetic improvement and commercial development of Lupinus havardii Wats. (Big Bend Bluebonnet) as a new specialty cut flower crop.

摘要

Lupinus havardii Wats. is native to a narrow geographical range along the Rio Grande River in southwestern Texas, and produces attractive tall blue flowered racemes having great potential as a specialty cut flower crop. A research project, initially focusing on improving crop uniformity and developing novel flower colors, was initiated in 1991. Other traits used in our recurrent phenotypic selection breeding included low shattering and long display life of flowers on the raceme to improve postharvest vase life. We discovered that flower abscission and senescence, which are related to sensitivity to ethylene, were the key components that affected the postharvest vase life of cut racemes. Therefore, the relative response of the promising germplasm to ethylene was evaluated following treatment with 2-choroethylphosphonic acid in the holding solution. Over the years, we have developed several blue (Blue Select, 'Texas Sapphire'), white (White Select, 'Texas Ice') and pink flowered (Pink bulk, Light Pink, Dark Pink, and Coral Pink) lines and cultivars of L. havardii with reduced ethylene sensitivity and extended vase life. Based on evaluation, test marketing and limited commercial production of two cultivars 'Texas Sapphire' (blue flowers) and 'Texas Ice' (white flowers) have been released. Our results clearly establish the important role of selection and breeding strategies in the improvement of bluebonnet as a specialty cut flower.