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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #332547
Title: Rebuilding Hawaii’s Anthurium germplasm collection for cultivar and species preservation, breeding, and biotechnological research

Author
item AMORE, TERESITA - University Of Hawaii
item Matsumoto Brower, Tracie
item Suzuki, Jon
item TOVES, PETER - University Of Hawaii
item LICHTY, JOANNE - University Of Hawaii

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2016
Publication Date: 12/5/2017
Citation: Amore, T.D., Matsumoto Brower, T.K., Suzuki, J.Y., Toves, P.J., Lichty, J.S. 2017. Rebuilding Hawaii’s Anthurium germplasm collection for cultivar and species preservation, breeding, and biotechnological research. Acta Horticulturae. 1185:117-122.

Interpretive Summary: The Anthurium breeding program of the University of Hawaii (UH) has made major contributions to the Anthurium industry in Hawaii since its establishment in the 1950’s. Substantial losses to the UH greenhouse germplasm collection from the mid-1980s to the 1990s occurred due to bacterial blight. A key collaboration between the UH and the USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center arose in 2014 to collect and preserve species, heritage and commercial varieties with important horticultural attributes. The germplasm serves as a genetic resource for continued conventional breeding as well as biotechnology research in both institutions.

Technical Abstract: Anthurium is the third most important floriculture crop in Hawaii, grown mainly as a cut flower. The University of Hawaii (UH) has a well-established anthurium breeding program since 1950, with a germplasm collection assembled from backyard growers, hobbyists, researchers and collection trips from countries of origin prior to the 1993 adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Substantial losses to the UH greenhouse collection from the mid-1980s to the 1990s occurred due to bacterial blight. In 2014, a key collaboration between the UH and the USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center arose to collect species, heritage and commercial varieties with important horticultural attributes. The germplasm collections are housed in greenhouses in three separate locations on Oahu (UH) and Hawaii Island (USDA and UH), as an insurance against adverse weather events such as hurricanes or strong winds that may damage the greenhouses, or unforeseen pest or disease outbreaks. Complementing the greenhouse collection is an in vitro collection of triple-indexed accessions to maintain disease-free stock. The germplasm serves as a genetic resource for continued conventional breeding as well as biotechnology research in both institutions.