Bioengineering of orchids

Harikrishna K., . and Harikrishna J.A., . and Abdullah Sipat, . and Manickam S., . (2005) Bioengineering of orchids. [Proceedings Paper]

The last few years have seen rapid development of biological science including the recent completion of genome projects such as for yeast humans and Arabidopsis. Information derived from these projects is already changing the practice of modern medicine and agriculture. These technologies have great potential to improve horticulture and in particular orchid cultivation. This paper will address the potential of new technologies in facilitating the development of novel orchid varieties with improved horticultural features and marketability. Currently through breeding wild orchid species with little commercial potential but containing useful horticultural traits such as fragrant flowers or disease resistance are hybridized with commercial varieties to transfer these useful traits. However this is a slow process taking many years to bring new varieties to market and also has limited ability to fully exploit the massive biodiversity contained in forests and oceans around the globe. Growers are faced with numerous problems related to the large-scale cultivation of orchids as well as those related to rapidly changing consumer preference and these need to be overcome. The development of recombinant DNA technology coupled with genomics and transformation technologies has provided a means to expoit biodiversity for the orchid industry. Novel genes can be transferred from unlikely sources such as bacteria into orchids. However basic studies of orchids should not be neglected as these will contribute towards the exploitation of the latest technologies for the benefit of growers.

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Abstract

The last few years have seen rapid development of biological science including the recent completion of genome projects such as for yeast humans and Arabidopsis. Information derived from these projects is already changing the practice of modern medicine and agriculture. These technologies have great potential to improve horticulture and in particular orchid cultivation. This paper will address the potential of new technologies in facilitating the development of novel orchid varieties with improved horticultural features and marketability. Currently through breeding wild orchid species with little commercial potential but containing useful horticultural traits such as fragrant flowers or disease resistance are hybridized with commercial varieties to transfer these useful traits. However this is a slow process taking many years to bring new varieties to market and also has limited ability to fully exploit the massive biodiversity contained in forests and oceans around the globe. Growers are faced with numerous problems related to the large-scale cultivation of orchids as well as those related to rapidly changing consumer preference and these need to be overcome. The development of recombinant DNA technology coupled with genomics and transformation technologies has provided a means to expoit biodiversity for the orchid industry. Novel genes can be transferred from unlikely sources such as bacteria into orchids. However basic studies of orchids should not be neglected as these will contribute towards the exploitation of the latest technologies for the benefit of growers.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Summary En
AGROVOC Term:	ORCHIDACEAE
AGROVOC Term:	BIOTECHNOLOGY
AGROVOC Term:	GENES
AGROVOC Term:	DNA
AGROVOC Term:	HORTICULTURE
AGROVOC Term:	CULTIVATION
AGROVOC Term:	TECHNOLOGY
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:27
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/16536

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