DA SILVA, JAIME A.T. Ereganto Haitsu 206, Hiragi 353-4, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa-ken, 761-0702, Japan. - Chrysanthemums: balancing revenue and culture through novel biotechnology.
There are few flowering plant species that have been as embraced by
the economic and cultural sectors as chrysanthemum. In Japan
chrysanthemum is the imperial flower and is only transcended in
spiritual and religious (Buddhist) value by the lotus flower. The
Japanese culture also exquisitely utilizes chrysanthemums in the
flower arranging ceremony, ikebana, harmoniously intertwined
with sado, the tea ceremony and in the funeral ceremony,
representing a symbol of peace. Certain chrysanthemums are edible
garland/shungiku/Chrysanthemum coronarium), while others
produce valuable secondary metabolites such as pyrethrin (C.
coccineum or C. cinerariaefolium) or sesquiterpene lactones
(C. indicum or C. morifolium). At present chrysanthemums
are globally the third most important cut flower crop, after rose and
carnation, with over 2 billion cut flower stems annually being used in
Japan alone. In many cut flower-producing countries (primarily
Colombia, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands) they are firmly rooted, and
are stable income bringers in other countries. The global
floricultural sector is under constant dynamic change, always seeking
new varieties with enhanced characteristics to satisfy ever-increasing
individualized consumer demands. Since advances in the improvement of
certain chrysanthemum qualities (flower color; longer shelf-life;
secondary metabolite production; stress tolerance; virus, viroid and
pest resistance, inter alia) are time-consuming through
conventional breeding practices, we are presently improving and
dynamizing select Japanese standard and spray-type chrysanthemum
(Dendranthema grandiflora/florist's daisy) through novel in
vitro culture and micropropagation methods, as well as the
establishment of efficient genetic transformation protocols (model and
applied) with the objective of further strengthening the value of this
already wealthy cultural floral asset.
Key words: biotechnolgy, chrysanthemum, culture, Dendranthema grandiflora, micropropagation