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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects
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Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Floriculture, Nursery and Landscape, and Turf".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2024) | Viewed by 14052

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marta Monder

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section of Ornamental Plants, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS), 166 Nowoursynowska Str., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: anatomy; biodiversity; biostimulants; budding; cambium; climate change; frost resistance; genetic resources; historical roses; morphology; phenology; rhizogenesis; root cuttings; rootstock; roses; urban greening

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The open access journal Horticulturae (IF: 2.331; Q1 in Horticulture) is pleased to announce the launch of a new Special Issue entitled “Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects”. Given your expertise in this field, we would like to invite you to contribute an article to the present Special Issue.

In recent years, the outlook on ornamental plants has undergone many changes, which has also inextricably affected the approach to their breeding.

The intensive breeding of numerous plant taxa and their hybrids lead to genetic erosion. Genetic erosion is a phenomenon that has been observed for a long time and is read out as dangerous, primarily because it reduces the ability to adapt to unfavorable conditions of both the environment and cultivation. It is therefore necessary to preserve the existing gene pool and incorporate new gene sources into breeding work.

The direction of breeding new cultivars should primarily respond to new challenges for horticulture and the environment, and these include climate change, extreme weather events, the possibility of ecological and organic cultivation, and the increasing demand for plants that tolerate urban conditions. The latter pose a particular challenge, as the urban environment is highly stressful. A second aspect is the special needs of urban gardening, e.g., well-being, street foods, food use, biodiversity, and ecology services. Others include the ability of phytoremediation and utilization of pollutions, especially air dust, heavy metal utilization, and the improvement of the urban microclimate.

The proposed Special Issue aims to present advanced studies, methods, tools, and innovations in the field of breeding of ornamentals and conservation of gene resources in new challenges. We hope to receive your contributions so as to share them with the community of researchers, students, and technicians. We hope that this invitation receives your favorable consideration and look forward to our future collaboration.

Dr. Marta Monder
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • applied genetics
  • conservation of gene resources
  • challenges of global climate changes
  • challenges of ecology
  • new genetic resources
  • biodiversity
  • urbanized areas
  • sustainable production and cultivation
  • pests
  • fungal diseases
  • pathogens

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2479 KiB  
Article
Interspecific Hardy Geranium Progenies: Morphological Characterization and Genetic Evaluation
by Mehrdad Akbarzadeh, Katrijn Van Laere, Ellen De Keyser, Johan Van Huylenbroeck, Stefaan P. O. Werbrouck and Emmy Dhooghe
Horticulturae 2024, 10(7), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10070723 - 9 Jul 2024
Viewed by 977
Abstract
Hardy geranium is a popular ornamental plant with a high market demand. As a result, there is a strong need for continuous innovation to improve its ornamental qualities. Interspecific hybridization is a widely used technique for introducing desirable traits and creating new cultivars [...] Read more.
Hardy geranium is a popular ornamental plant with a high market demand. As a result, there is a strong need for continuous innovation to improve its ornamental qualities. Interspecific hybridization is a widely used technique for introducing desirable traits and creating new cultivars with added value. To explore the possibilities of creating novelty within the Geranium genus, we conducted 2438 interspecific crosses over three flowering seasons, resulting in the successful harvest of 445 seeds and the final production of 82 seedlings. Using embryo rescue increased the germination rate of a seedling from 0.17% to 1.01%. To validate the paternal genetic contribution in the new seedlings, we used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to assess the proportion of uniquely inherited paternal markers in all seedlings. AFLP analysis confirmed that 54 of the 82 seedlings were indeed true hybrids (65.8% hybridization success rate). A morphological evaluation of the flowers and leaves, including flower diameter (mm), style length (mm), number of flowers, flowering period (weeks), and color of both flowers and leaves, provided further confirmation of the F1 hybrid status of the seedlings. The results of our interspecific breeding demonstrated the efficiency of interspecific hybridization in hardy geraniums and its potential to create distinctive and novel cultivars for the ornamental market. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects)
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12 pages, 4490 KiB  
Communication
Exploring Genetic Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships in Camellia reticulata Cultivars Using Novel Low-Copy Nuclear Gene Markers
by Xiaodan Xu, Ya Gao and Wei Zheng
Horticulturae 2024, 10(3), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030303 - 21 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1157
Abstract
This study delves into the exploration of genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships within Camellia reticulata cultivars, providing a vital reference for horticultural research on this hetero-hexaploid species. Utilizing available transcriptome data from C. reticulata, novel low-copy nuclear gene sequences were successfully identified. [...] Read more.
This study delves into the exploration of genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships within Camellia reticulata cultivars, providing a vital reference for horticultural research on this hetero-hexaploid species. Utilizing available transcriptome data from C. reticulata, novel low-copy nuclear gene sequences were successfully identified. With tailored primer design, these genes were amplified and sequenced from 100 C. reticulata cultivars originating from Kunming, Chuxiong, Dali, and Tengchong in China. Five distinct low-copy nuclear gene sequences were found to collectively span 3481 bp, showcasing 71 polymorphic mutation sites (Pi = 0.0077) and 91 haplotypes (Hd = 0.9974). The genetic diversity among cultivars from the four provenances ranked Tengchong > Dali > Kunming > Chuxiong. AMOVA analysis revealed that 96.50% of the genetic variation exists within the provenances. Low genetic distance and differentiation (Fst= 0.0199) were observed among cultivars from the four provenances. Ninety-nine cultivars were clustered into four clades, corresponding to the three ancestors of C. reticulata (diploid C. reticulata, C. pitardii, and C. saluenensis). The novel low-copy nuclear gene sequence markers developed in this study provide an effective tool for analyzing genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and origination of C. reticulata cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects)
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20 pages, 3316 KiB  
Article
Genetic Assessment, Propagation and Chemical Analysis of Flowers of Rosa damascena Mill. Genotypes Cultivated in Greece
by Fotios-Theoharis Ziogou, Aikaterini-Angeliki Kotoula, Stefanos Hatzilazarou, Emmanouil-Nikolaos Papadakis, Panos-George Avramis, Athanasios Economou and Stefanos Kostas
Horticulturae 2023, 9(8), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9080946 - 20 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1792
Abstract
Rosa damascena Mill. is commercially the most important rose species used to produce essential oils. The plants of this species, cultivated in the district of Western Macedonia (Greece) for rose oil production, originated from indigenous genotypes but also nurseries abroad, mainly from Bulgaria. [...] Read more.
Rosa damascena Mill. is commercially the most important rose species used to produce essential oils. The plants of this species, cultivated in the district of Western Macedonia (Greece) for rose oil production, originated from indigenous genotypes but also nurseries abroad, mainly from Bulgaria. The present study investigated the genetic relationship between nine genotypes of R. damascena from Greece, one genotype from Turkey, three genotypes from Bulgaria and three genotypes from France using the molecular markers ISSR and SCoT. Also, the rooting ability of shoot cuttings from these nine genotypes was investigated by applying 2 g/L of the rooting regulator K-IBA. In addition, petals were chemically analyzed using GC-MS and LC-MS to identify the compounds that are the main components of the rose oil. The nine rose genotypes of R. damascena, cultivated in Greece, one from Turkey and one of the three genotypes from Bulgaria were clustered in one clade in the dendrogram. The other two genotypes from Bulgaria were clustered in a separate clade that demonstrated the existence of genetic diversity among the three Bulgarian genotypes, while the French genotypes were clustered in a third clade. The shoot cuttings rooted relatively easily (55–70%) with the application of K-IBA, without any significant differences among the nine genotypes. Large variation was observed among the nine genotypes in the main volatile compounds of the flower petal extracts, which are related to rose oil components. For these compounds, the concentrations in μg/g of the fresh petal weight were 2-phenylethylalcohol (1148.35–2777.19), nerol (27.45–64.93), citronellol (88.45–206.59), geraniol (69.12–170.99) and nonadecane (209.27–533.15). Of the non-volatile compounds, gallic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid in the petal extracts of the nine genotypes (0.28–0.82 μg/g), while for the flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol variations of 0.35–1.17 μg/g and 0.26–2.13 μg/g were recorded, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects)
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18 pages, 3074 KiB  
Article
Multivariate Assessment of Genetic Relationships between Two Streptocarpus Cultivars and Their F1 Progenies Using Morphological Characteristics and SCoT Molecular Markers
by Monica Hârţa, Doina Clapa, Mihaiela Cornea-Cipcigan, Orsolya Borsai, Rodica Pop and Mirela Irina Cordea
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040497 - 15 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1872
Abstract
Streptocarpus is a very popular houseplant with colorful flowers, and has thus piqued the curiosity of plant enthusiasts and breeders. In this study, “Natalie” and “Bristol’s Gum Drop” were artificially hybridized to study the influence of the parental reciprocal crosses (P1×P2 and P2×P1) [...] Read more.
Streptocarpus is a very popular houseplant with colorful flowers, and has thus piqued the curiosity of plant enthusiasts and breeders. In this study, “Natalie” and “Bristol’s Gum Drop” were artificially hybridized to study the influence of the parental reciprocal crosses (P1×P2 and P2×P1) on vegetative and generative morphological traits of F1 progeny. Mean comparisons for morphological characters of parents and F1 plants from both crosses revealed that F1 plants were able to express hybrid vigor for several valuable morphological characteristics. Pearson correlations showed both significant negative and positive correlations between morphological traits of F1 plants from P1×P2 cross, while in the case of P2×P1 no significant negative correlations were observed (p < 0.05). The Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) genetic profiles of the F1 plants with the identifiers P1×P2.19 and P1×P2.35 were remarkably similar, and they grouped with the maternal parent in a small group, supporting the findings of clustering based on morphological data. The parental combination P2×P1 revealed the presence of closely related progenies to the paternal parent, namely P2×P1.16 and P2×P1.5. Two F1 plants named P1×P2.33 and P2×P1.21 were selected based on their phenotypic characteristics and SCoT molecular fingerprinting. These selected genotypes will be tested in our future breeding programs with the aim to create and promote new valuable Streptocarpus cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects)
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13 pages, 5104 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis of Ethylene Response in Chrysanthemum moriflolium Ramat. with an Emphasis on Flowering Delay
by Hua Cheng, Min Zhou, Yuyang Si, Wenjie Li, Likai Wang, Sumei Chen, Fadi Chen and Jiafu Jiang
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040428 - 25 Mar 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2633
Abstract
Ethylene is a gaseous phytohormone that delays flowering in Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. To date, however, there have been no systematic studies on genes involved in the ethylene response of this species, and the mechanism underlying ethylene-delayed flowering remains unclear. Herein, we applied RNA [...] Read more.
Ethylene is a gaseous phytohormone that delays flowering in Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. To date, however, there have been no systematic studies on genes involved in the ethylene response of this species, and the mechanism underlying ethylene-delayed flowering remains unclear. Herein, we applied RNA sequencing to characterize the ethylene response by comparing the transcriptomes of chrysanthemum cultivar ‘Jinba’ with or without ethephon treatment. Six unique RNA-seq libraries were generated. The identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) primarily involved ethylene, auxin, and abscisic acid signaling genes; circadian clock genes; genes encoding functional proteins associated with floral transition, such as homologs of AP1/FRUITFUL-like 1 (AFL1), TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1), and so on; and genes encoding transcription factors, specifically of the MYB and bHLH families. Furthermore, quantitative RT-PCR was used to verify the DEGs identified by RNA-seq. Heterologous CmAFL1 overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in early flowering. Our findings present a landscape of transcriptomes and reveal the candidate genes involved in the ethylene-mediated regulation of flowering time in chrysanthemum, providing useful data for further studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects)
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15 pages, 5445 KiB  
Article
Identification and Characterization of CCD Gene Family in Rose (Rosa chinensis Jacq. ‘Old Blush’) and Gene Co-Expression Network in Biosynthesis of Flower Scent
by Fangfang Ji, Jie Wu and Zhao Zhang
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010115 - 15 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2317
Abstract
Rose (Rosa sp.) is a widely used raw material for essential oil extraction and fragrance production. The carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases pathway is one of the main metabolic pathways for the degradation of carotenoids, which is located downstream of the terpenoids biosynthesis pathway [...] Read more.
Rose (Rosa sp.) is a widely used raw material for essential oil extraction and fragrance production. The carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases pathway is one of the main metabolic pathways for the degradation of carotenoids, which is located downstream of the terpenoids biosynthesis pathway and is closely related to the biosynthesis of volatile compounds. We performed a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the rose CCD family genes (RcCCDs) in terms of phylogeny, sequence characterization, gene structure, gene duplication events, and transcriptome. Finally, 15 CCD family members were identified from the rose genome, and they were classified into three clades: nine for the CCD clade, four for the NCED clade, and two for the CCD-LIKE clade. The RcCCDs were distributed on chromosomes 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and were concentrated on both ends of the chromosomes. RcCCDs did not have paralogous genes or whole genome duplication events (WGD), eleven of them were single-copy genes, and their repetitive sequences were mainly dispersed and tandem. Ten RcCCDs were differentially expressed in the transcriptomes of different flowering stages. The expression of four of them increased and then decreased, which was the same process as the accumulation of volatile compounds, and it was speculated that these genes might be involved in the biosynthesis of volatile compounds. A total of fifteen modules were obtained by weighted gene co-expression network analysis of eighteen volatile compounds-related genes, of which six modules were a highly significant positive correlation with volatile compounds, and 20 hub genes in the modules were predicted. These hub genes all exercised their functions in the early flowering stage with strict temporal specificity. This study provided a theoretical basis for further exploring the biological functions of RcCCDs and hub genes regulating the synthesis and metabolism of volatile compounds in rose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects)
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14 pages, 1468 KiB  
Article
Selection of Mulberry Genotypes from Northern Serbia for ‘Ornafruit’ Purposes
by Mirjana Ljubojević, Katarina Šavikin, Gordana Zdunić, Sandra Bijelić, Snežana Mrđan, Marija Kozomara, Magdalena Pušić and Tijana Narandžić
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010028 - 24 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2470
Abstract
The genus Morus L., mulberry, is an interesting taxonomic group on account of its existing genetic variability, functional food potential and commercial importance. Mulberry trees are found in a wide range of areas in Serbia, accounting for a large phenotypic diversity in its [...] Read more.
The genus Morus L., mulberry, is an interesting taxonomic group on account of its existing genetic variability, functional food potential and commercial importance. Mulberry trees are found in a wide range of areas in Serbia, accounting for a large phenotypic diversity in its genetic resources. Tree and fruit characteristics of more than 300 mulberry specimens were surveyed, and 15 genotypes of Morus alba, Morus nigra and Morus rubra species were selected for further analyses. These were located at various sites in the province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The present study was undertaken to investigate the diversity of the collected material aiming to pre-select genotypes suitable for landscaping/ornamental and/or fruit production purposes. Genotypes BP 3/9, DT1, ZP3 and MR1 have semi-vigorous growth, dropping growth habits, different leaf shapes (ovate, oval, cordate) and leaf color (from light to dark green), corresponding to ornamental mulberries. In addition, the semi-vigorous genotype ZD1 with a spreading tree and interesting palmate-lobed leaves was distinguished as a unique genotype for landscaping purposes. The most vigorous annual shoot growth was detected in the ZP3 genotype (118.5 cm), followed by DT1 (108.2 cm), MR1 (101.8 cm) and ZP1 (100.5 cm) genotypes. Contrary, genotype DJ1 exhibited the lowest annual growth with only a 32.9 cm average length of the shoots. Due to the greater fruit mass (4.2–6.1 g), sweetness and acidity balance as well as chemical composition, genotypes BP 1/4, DJ1, MG, MR1, DT1 and ZP3 may be recommended for fresh consumption, while genotypes DJ1, DT1, MR1, ZD1, ZP1 and BP 3/9 could be appropriate for home processing. According to fruit chemical analyses, the most promising genotypes were MR1 and DT1 combining high soluble solids content (21.2% and 18.5%, respectively), total sugar content (17.41% and 15.20%, respectively) and ascorbic acid content (42.24 and 49.28 mg/%, respectively). Additionally, DT1 genotype was also characterized by the highest total phenolic content (221.08 mg 27 GAE/100 g fresh weight). The most ornamental genotypes from this study (BP 3/9, DT1, ZD1, ZP3 and MR1) combined with their pomological and chemical characterization can be recommended for edible gardening purposes due to both aesthetic appearance and nutritive value of the fruits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding of Ornamental Plants—Genetic Resources, New Challenges and Prospects)
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