Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Propagation and Seeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2024) | Viewed by 26297

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Department of Biotechnology, Plant and Animal Production, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Araras 13600-970, SP, Brazil
Interests: floriculture; breeding; propagation; in vitro plant cultivation
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Guest Editor
Environmental Horticulture Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611-0670, USA
Interests: micropropagation; cryopreservation; ornamental plants; medicinal plants; horticultural crops; space biology; temporary immersion bioreactors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Ornamental plants have been constantly improved by new technologies and cultivation systems to provide new, high-quality plant material for one of the most demanding markets in the horticulture sector. In addition, the ornamental production sector faces several challenges, such as an increase in costs of production, new pests and diseases, climate change and the need to adapt to environmental stresses, the need for conservation and environmental protection, and the competition of areas and natural resources with other food and energy crops.

Therefore, innovative ideas and new technologies for the cultivation and propagation of ornamental plants are needed to support existing practices, as well as to develop the next generation of cultivation systems with increased gains, including more efficient systems of propagation and cultivation at lower costs, associated with sustainable production and management practices.

In this Special Issue of Horticulturae, “Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants”, research on new systems and technologies of propagation and cultivation of ornamental plants is presented as an intersection of three main areas, as illustrated in the graphical abstract below. These include sustainability (sustainable production and best management practices), propagation efficiency (techniques for improvement and increase in efficiency practices), and innovative technologies (from advanced breeding and genetic improvement techniques to automation and robotics).

Dr. Jean Carlos Cardoso
Prof. Dr. Wagner Vendrame
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 188 KiB  
Editorial
Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants
by Jean Carlos Cardoso and Wagner Aparecido Vendrame
Horticulturae 2022, 8(3), 229; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8030229 - 7 Mar 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4805
Abstract
Ornamental plants are constantly being improved by new technologies and cultivation systems to provide new, high-quality plant material for one of the most demanding markets in the horticulture sector [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)

Research

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14 pages, 3392 KiB  
Article
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Changes in Gene Expression Associated with Anthocyanin Metabolism in Begonia semperflorens under Light Conditions
by Kunkun Zhao, Airong Liu, Yuanbing Zhang, Weixin Liu, Zhimin Zhao and Shuyue Yang
Horticulturae 2024, 10(1), 96; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae10010096 - 19 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1036
Abstract
Anthocyanins, recognized as stress indicators, particularly under high-light conditions, play a pivotal role in plant stress responses. The advent of transcriptomics has opened avenues to elucidate the mechanisms underlying high light-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. This study delved into transcriptomic changes in Begonia semperflorens leaves [...] Read more.
Anthocyanins, recognized as stress indicators, particularly under high-light conditions, play a pivotal role in plant stress responses. The advent of transcriptomics has opened avenues to elucidate the mechanisms underlying high light-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. This study delved into transcriptomic changes in Begonia semperflorens leaves under varying light intensities: 950–9600 lx (TL_100), 6800–7000 lx (HS_75), and 4300–4500 lx (LS_25). To confirm the expression profiles of the key genes, we chose 12 critical genes associated with anthocyanin production for quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-qPCR) analysis. Following this, we measured the levels of anthocyanins to substantiate the findings from the gene expression analysis. The transcriptome assembly in this study was extensive, yielding 43,038 unigenes that collectively spanned about 49.83 million base pairs, with an average unigene length of 1157 bp and an N50 value of 1685 bp. This assembly facilitated a thorough functional annotation across seven distinct protein databases, leading to the classification of 16,363 unigenes into 58 different families of transcription factors. Our comparative analysis of the transcriptomes highlighted a substantial number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs): 5411 DEGs between HS_75 and TL_100 conditions, with 3078 showing increased expression and 2333 showing decreased expression; 4701 DEGs between LS_25 and TL_100, consisting of 2648 up-regulated and 2053 down-regulated genes; and 6558 DEGs between LS_25 and HS_75, with 3032 genes up-regulated and 3526 down-regulated. These DEGs were significantly involved in critical pathways, such as anthocyanin synthesis, plant hormone signaling, and other regulatory mechanisms. This study suggests that genes, including F3′H, MYB102, and SWEET1, could play vital roles in regulating anthocyanin synthesis in response to various light conditions, potentially impacting the expression levels of other genes, like WRKYs, ATHB12, and those similar to HSP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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11 pages, 5240 KiB  
Article
Regeneration of Transgenic Ficus lyrata via Indirect Somatic Embryogenesis and Isolation of Variants for Development of New Cultivars
by Shufang Fan, Dawei Jian, Jianjun Chen and Longqing Chen
Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 530; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae9050530 - 24 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1472
Abstract
Ficus lyrata is a popular ornamental foliage plant with unique violin- or guitar-shaped green leaves. In our previous study, a grapevine gene VvMybA1 was introduced into F. lyrata via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, which resulted in the availability of purple-leaved plants. Since VvMybA1 is a [...] Read more.
Ficus lyrata is a popular ornamental foliage plant with unique violin- or guitar-shaped green leaves. In our previous study, a grapevine gene VvMybA1 was introduced into F. lyrata via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, which resulted in the availability of purple-leaved plants. Since VvMybA1 is a transcription factor, the regeneration of transgenic purple-leaved plants might potentially produce variants with multicolored leaves. The objective of this study was to establish a method for regenerating purple-leaved F. lyrata and determine if variants with different coloration or variegation could be isolated from regenerated populations. Leaf explants derived from a completely purple-leaved transgenic plant were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA) and α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Callogenesis occurred in leaf explants, and a subculture of callus-borne explants on the same medium resulted in callus proliferation and the occurrence of somatic embryos. Somatic embryos were more effectively induced from callus pieces cultured on MS medium supplemented with 8.88 μM of BA and 0.27 μM of NAA. More than 30 embryos were induced per callus piece, and the embryos matured and converted to plantlets. MS medium supplemented with 4.92 μM of indolyl-3-butanoic acid (IBA) greatly improved root development. Plantlets were transplanted into soilless substrate and grown in a shaded greenhouse for morphological evaluation. Nine variants with different degrees of coloration and variegation were isolated from the regenerated populations. Our results suggest that the regeneration of transgenic plants that harbor a transcription factor, such as VvMybA1, could be an additional way of isolating novel variants for the development of new cultivars of ornamental plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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13 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
Improving Aerial and Root Quality Traits of Two Landscaping Shrubs Stem Cuttings by Applying a Commercial Brown Seaweed Extract
by Danilo Loconsole, Giuseppe Cristiano and Barbara De Lucia
Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 806; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8090806 - 2 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1633
Abstract
The availability of quality planting material is one of the most important requirements for increasing the productivity of any ornamental crop. Horticulturists make use of auxins and apply them exogenously to cuttings to generate adventitious roots and balanced shoots. Many studies have illustrated [...] Read more.
The availability of quality planting material is one of the most important requirements for increasing the productivity of any ornamental crop. Horticulturists make use of auxins and apply them exogenously to cuttings to generate adventitious roots and balanced shoots. Many studies have illustrated the influence of seaweed extracts on the growth of ornamental crops; their use in vegetative cutting propagation, to our knowledge, has been little investigated. Moreover, there is a lack of information on the influence of IBA and seaweed extract concentration on the carbohydrate content. This research aimed to compare the effects of the commercial seaweed extract, called Goteo®, with that of the phytohormone IBA, on the aerial and root quality traits of stem cutting in two Mediterranean landscaping shrubs: Lantana camara (S1) and Abelia × grandiflora (S2). The treatments applied to semi-hardwood stem cuttings were as follows: C0: untreated control; IBA concentration: 1250 mg L−1; Goteo® concentrations at 1, 2, and 3 mL L−1. In L. camara, the greatest values of rooting percentage were obtained under IBA and Goteo® treatments when compared to the control; in A. × grandiflora, there were no effects among treatments. The presented study shows that Goteo® stimulated adventitious rooting and provided a better rooting quality and shoot development of stem cuttings in Lantana and Abelia. In S1, cuttings treated with Goteo®, at the dose of 3 mL L−1, were greater in the number of roots, growth traits, root morphology and carbohydrate content, than those treated with IBA. In S2, 1 mL L−1 Goteo® concentration could be recommended to obtain high-quality rooted stem cuttings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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10 pages, 2357 KiB  
Article
Regeneration of Cotoneaster wilsonii Nakai through Indirect Organogenesis
by Yali Li, Jie Xiao and Byoung Ryong Jeong
Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 795; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8090795 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1478
Abstract
The ornamental plant Cotoneaster wilsonii Nakai is a rare endemic species to the Ulleung Island in Korea. There is an urgent need to develop efficient propagation methods to preserve this endangered plant species. The cytokinin thidiazuron (TDZ) at a concentration of 0, 1.0, [...] Read more.
The ornamental plant Cotoneaster wilsonii Nakai is a rare endemic species to the Ulleung Island in Korea. There is an urgent need to develop efficient propagation methods to preserve this endangered plant species. The cytokinin thidiazuron (TDZ) at a concentration of 0, 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 mg·L−1 combined with 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg·L−1 a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was used to induce calli from young leaf explants on the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The TDZ and/or 6-benzyladenine at a concentration of 0, 0.5, or 1.0 mg·L−1 combined with 0.2 mg·L−1 NAA was supplied to the MS medium to induce shoots from calli. Four auxins at 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, or 1.0 mg·L−1 were supplied to half-strength MS medium for root induction. The treatment of TDZ at 1.0 mg·L−1 combined with 1.5 mg·L−1 NAA not only had 100% callus induction ratio, but also induced the heaviest calli. The shoot induction ratio was the greatest with TDZ at 1.0 mg·L−1, and the greatest root induction ratio was obtained with IAA at a concentration of 0.8 mg·L−1. In conclusion, an effective indirect organogenesis system was established for C. wilsonii Nakai. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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12 pages, 3930 KiB  
Article
Trichostatin A Induced Microspore Embryogenesis and Promoted Plantlet Regeneration in Ornamental Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
by Chuanhong Liu, Gengxing Song, Yonghui Zhao, Bing Fang, Zhiyong Liu, Jie Ren and Hui Feng
Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 790; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8090790 - 30 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1787
Abstract
Cut flower ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a biennial cultivar, which completes a sexual reproductive generation in two years. Isolated microspore culture (IMC) can accelerate plant homozygosity instead of self-pollinations. However, the application of IMC in cut flower ornamental [...] Read more.
Cut flower ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a biennial cultivar, which completes a sexual reproductive generation in two years. Isolated microspore culture (IMC) can accelerate plant homozygosity instead of self-pollinations. However, the application of IMC in cut flower ornamental kale was rare since its low rate of embryogenesis. It is proved that histone acetylation might affect the gene expression in microspores and led to the transformation of microspores from pollen development pathway to embryogenesis. In this paper, microspores, derived from three varieties of cut flower ornamental kale, Crane Bicolor (CB), Crane Pink (CP) and Crane Feather Queen (CFQ), were treated with histone deacetylation inhibitor (HDACI) trichostatin A (TSA). Results revealed that the appropriate concentration of TSA was 10 nM for CB with obtaining 5.39 embryos per bud, while for CP and CFQ was 5 nM with acquiring 10.89 and 16.99 embryos per bud, respectively. TSA treatment also reduced the embryonic mortality, of which 10 nM TSA treatments CB was the optimal and the embryonic mortality decreased to 25.01%. The double haploid (DH) proportion of regenerated plants reached 37.3%. These results contribute to improving the technology for IMC in cut flower ornamental kale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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9 pages, 2913 KiB  
Article
Seaweed Extracts as Substitutes of Synthetic Hormones for Rooting Promotion in Rose Cuttings
by Silvia Traversari, Sonia Cacini and Beatrice Nesi
Horticulturae 2022, 8(7), 561; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8070561 - 21 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3071
Abstract
In the horticultural sector, the achievement of an efficient and eco-friendly sustainable production of plants is nowadays challenging. Indeed, in plant vegetative propagation of woody ornamentals, the substitution of chemical products used to promote rooting of cuttings with natural extracts would be a [...] Read more.
In the horticultural sector, the achievement of an efficient and eco-friendly sustainable production of plants is nowadays challenging. Indeed, in plant vegetative propagation of woody ornamentals, the substitution of chemical products used to promote rooting of cuttings with natural extracts would be a desirable goal. Thus, the aim of this work was to test the replacement of synthetic phytoregulators, such as auxins and brassinosteroids, with biostimulants, such as seaweed extracts, for the rooting promotion of rose cuttings. The rooting rate and biometric parameters of control cuttings treated with distilled water were compared with those of cuttings treated with synthetic hormones, i.e., auxins or 22(S),23(S)-homobrassinolide, or two commercial products based on low temperature seaweed extracts, i.e., Kelpak® and Phylgreen. Two scented hybrid tea rose cultivars were used to assess possible genotype-dependent effects, i.e., ‘Michelangelo®’ and ‘Cosmos®’. Auxins confirmed their role in root growth enhancement in ornamental plant cuttings. Like these phytoregulators, Kelpak® improved the survival rate and root biometric parameters of both rose cuttings, highlighting its suitability for the replacement of synthetic products used for rooting promotion in rose propagation. Brassinosteroids showed a species-dependent effect, increasing the root biomass in ‘Cosmos®’ while it resulted as distilled water in ‘Michelangelo®’. Phylgreen did not improve the rooting of both rose cuttings, highlighting the necessity of evaluating the applicability and methodology for this product before its use. In conclusions, our results highlighted the possibility to replace chemical products in rose cutting production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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12 pages, 2045 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Effects of Culture Media and Light Sources on In Vitro Growth of Brassavola nodosa (L.) Lindl. Hybrid
by Wagner A. Vendrame, JianJian Xu and David Beleski
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 450; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8050450 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2212
Abstract
Culture medium and light are important factors that affect the process of in vitro propagation of plants. Particularly for orchids, diverse culture media have been evaluated for micropropagation of many species and hybrids. More recently, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have become widely used in [...] Read more.
Culture medium and light are important factors that affect the process of in vitro propagation of plants. Particularly for orchids, diverse culture media have been evaluated for micropropagation of many species and hybrids. More recently, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have become widely used in agriculture, including micropropagation commercial operations, resulting in increased production and reduced costs compared to traditional fluorescent lights. Brassavola nodosa (L.) Lindl. is an orchid, with great potential for commercialization as a potted flowering plant due to the beauty and fragrance of its inflorescences. In this study, we evaluated the effects of culture media (VW, MS, and ½ MS) and light sources (three LED sources and one fluorescent light source) on the micropropagation of B. nodosa orchids. VW medium resulted in the best growth and development of in vitro shoots compared to MS and ½ MS media. Light sources with lower intensity, such as LED-3 (80 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) resulted in the best plant performance in vitro, while LED-2 (1015 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) showed the best plant performance ex vitro. Rooting was obtained in vitro without the need for a rooting phase. Survival ex vitro was 100%, with the successful growth and development of in vitro-derived plantlets during acclimatization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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13 pages, 1416 KiB  
Article
Micropropagation from Inflorescence Nodal Segments of Phalaenopsis and Acclimatization of Plantlets Using Different Substrates
by Cesar Augusto Zanello, Willian Naves Duarte, Daniela Mangueira Gomes and Jean Carlos Cardoso
Horticulturae 2022, 8(4), 340; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae8040340 - 16 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5882
Abstract
Phalaenopsis is an orchid genus of great economic value in world floriculture. In vitro clonal propagation is the only large-scale feasible method for Phalaenopsis propagation, but it is difficult because of the low multiplication rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate [...] Read more.
Phalaenopsis is an orchid genus of great economic value in world floriculture. In vitro clonal propagation is the only large-scale feasible method for Phalaenopsis propagation, but it is difficult because of the low multiplication rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of types and concentrations of N6-benzyladenine (6-BA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) on the in vitro multiplication of shoots from inflorescence nodal segments (INS) of Phalaenopsis hybrids. INS with one axillary bud were inoculated in New Dogashima Medium with different combinations of BA and GA3. The results show that the treatment containing 1.0 mg L−1 BA and 1.5 mg L−1 GA3 showed the higher percentage of live inflorescence segments (71.48%) and a number of shoots (1.68 shoots/INS). The highest 6-BA concentration (4 mg L−1) tested in this study resulted in the best shoot multiplication rate (4.3). Contamination and browning of the INS tissues were the main difficulties identified for clonal propagation of Phalaenopsis. Successful in vitro rooting occurred on half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium (100%), and acclimatization (100%) was obtained independent of the substrates. However, the best gains in number of roots, leaves, chlorophyll content, and fresh weight of plantlets were achieved using vermiculite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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Review

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32 pages, 1744 KiB  
Review
In Vitro Propagation Journey of Ornamental Gladiolus (Gladiolus Species): A Systematic Review Analysis Based on More Than 50 Years Research
by Mukesh Kumar, Veena Chaudhary, Ujjwal Sirohi, Jitender Singh, Manoj Kumar Yadav, Satya Prakash, Arvind Kumar, Vipin Kumar, Virendra Pal, Chetan Chauhan, Krishna Kaushik, Devanshu Shukla, Rishubh Motla, Satendra Kumar and Sunil Malik
Horticulturae 2024, 10(2), 148; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae10020148 - 5 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1488
Abstract
Traditional gladiolus propagation methods are now supplemented with in vitro propagation to meet the demands of modern floriculture in terms of quick production of disease-free, quality planting material. Due to virus infections, vegetative propagation in gladiolus in the field is slow, and is [...] Read more.
Traditional gladiolus propagation methods are now supplemented with in vitro propagation to meet the demands of modern floriculture in terms of quick production of disease-free, quality planting material. Due to virus infections, vegetative propagation in gladiolus in the field is slow, and is a serious concern in the propagation of gladiolus. In vitro propagation provides an enormous increase in propagation rate and the ability to produce disease-free plant material. Numerous elements, including cultivars, explant type, size of explants, position of explants on medium, plant growth regulators and certain additives, incubation conditions, and sub-culturing time, all have a significant impact on in vitro clonal propagation of gladiolus plants as well as the development of in vitro cormel efficiency. There are certain obstacles and challenges that arise in the in vitro development of plants and the cormels of gladiolus. However, numerous studies and review reports on gladiolus for in vitro propagation have been reported, but very little is known about the factors influencing gladiolus’ in vitro effectiveness. In the present review, we focused on and analyzed research data accumulated over 50 years on diverse strategies for in vitro propagation such as direct, indirect organogenesis, and somatic embryogenesis, as well as various factors such as physical, nutritional, and hormonal influences on in vitro propagation, in vitro cormel formation efficiency, difficulties that arise, and new insights into in vitro development in gladiolus from the available literature worldwide. Future possibilities for further improvement in the in vitro propagation of ornamental gladiolus are also discussed. The current review provides insight into a comprehensive protocol for gladiolus in vitro propagation and emphasizes the importance of continuously advancing tissue culture techniques and factors influencing the in vitro efficiency towards improving in vitro plantlets and cormels in gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Propagation and Cultivation of Ornamental Plants)
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