ASHS 2024 Conference

While many institutions have staff that dabble in plant breeding, the Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the only gardens to administer a breeding program dedicated to introducing ornamental perennials. A botanic garden possesses a wealth of resources not available to hobbyist breeders and other companies, providing key advantages that aid in cultivar development. Among these resources are staff members that support plant breeding with different fields of expertise, such as horticulture, production, propagation, and landscape design. Other resources include well-maintained breeding beds and greenhouses for crossing plants and growing progenies as well as a plant exploration program that conducts both national and global plant collection trips. Various lab facilities are available through the science department, including equipment and staff that can help with seed cleaning and banking, pollen banking, flow cytometry, and more. Because the Chicago Botanic Garden and its plant introduction program Chicagoland Grows® are non-profits, there is more freedom to work on lesser known genera. This contrasts with traditional industry breeding, which often focuses on well-established genera when introducing new cultivars. Using Baptisia (false wild indigo) as an example, we’ll explore some past breeding conducted at the Chicago Botanic Garden by Dr. Jim Ault and how this breeding will continue moving forward. This will illustrate how ornamental cultivar development is possible without modern genotyping methods and high input costs.

Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) are native herbaceous perennial plants. Due to their ornamental nature, variations in flowers, foliage, color, and variety are important. Mutagenesis is a method to increase variation in hibiscus plants, and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) is a common chemical mutagen that causes nucleotide substitutions. It converts guanine-cytosine pairs to adenine-thymine pairs. This study aimed to determine the EMS LD50 value for hardy hibiscus. The cultivar ‘Luna Red’ (Ball Horticulture) seed was used for treatment. An EMS LD50 determination study was performed using a factorial randomized complete block design. Three replications of 15 seeds were used for each treatment. EMS treatments consisted of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1% EMS solution, each treated for 4, 8, and 12 hours to determine the ideal treatment concentration and time. The germination rate, survival rate, and height of seedlings were measured. The interaction effect for germination was insignificant when measuring concentration and time, so the LD50 values were identified for each time separately. The LD50 values for seedling survival were 0.64% EMS for 4 hours, 0.45% EMS for 8 hours, and 0.38% EMS for 12 hours. Notable phenotypic differences between the treated and control plants were observed. There was 92% greater two-month survival in the control plants compared to those treated with 0.75% EMS solution. The control plants were 90% taller at three months after treatment than the plants treated with 0.75% EMS solution.

Invasive ornamental plants have been considered as a major contributor to the spread of invasive plant species in the United States and many other countries in the world. To mitigate the economic and ecological impacts of invasive ornamental plants, we have focused on genetic sterilization of four invasive ornamental plants that are commonly produced and widely used in Florida to develop sterile, triploid cultivars as alternatives to the invasive types. Toward this goal, we have made progress in (1) artificial induction of tetraploids in nandina, privet, and porterweed, 2) developing and releasing new sterile, non-invasive triploid lantana cultivars, 3) understanding the reproductive biology of lantana, 4) developing and applying new genomic and molecular tools, and 5) testing alternative breeding approaches. By applying the mitotic inhibitor agent colchicine to germinating seeds or seedlings, we have induced tetraploids in nandina, privet, and porterweed. Tetraploid nandina showed significantly reduction in pollen stainability and seed set. Tetraploid privet lines exhibited thicker leaves with darker green color. Induced tetraploid nandina, porterweed, and privet lines have come into flowering, and interploidy crosses are made to produce new triploids. Using existing tetraploids in lantana, we have generated hundreds of new triploids, evaluated their male and female sterility, and released five sterile, non-invasive triploid cultivars, three of which have become popular replacements of the invasive types. Ploidy and molecular marker analyses have revealed the production of unreduced female gametes and apomictic seeds in lantana and natural sexual polyploidization in lantana and several other lantana species. Genome and transcriptome analyses have uncovered candidate genes that are linked or directly involved in the production of unreduced female gametes in Lantana. A number of diploid and tetraploid lantana genotypes with male or female sterility have been identified, which are being used to generate new triploids through open pollination. Additional tools are needed to rescue triploid embryos and screen breeding populations for high female sterility. These new plant materials, genetic and genomic resources, and molecular tools are expected to facilitate the genetic sterilization of lantana, nandina, porterweed, and privet. The findings may guide similar genetic sterilization efforts in other invasive ornamental plants.

Pomegranates, renowned for their fruit, also possess ornamental varieties with unique traits such as double flowering, diverse flower colors, and dwarfing characteristics. Despite their appeal, limited information exists on the genetics and inheritance of these ornamental traits. In this study, we investigated the inheritance and genetic controls of these traits through crosses between the dwarfing cultivar Peppy Le Pom and pomegranate cultivars showcasing ornamental traits. By analyzing multiple families and conducting a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using resequencing data from 64 cultivars, we made several key findings. Firstly, the double flower trait exhibited Mendelian inheritance with a single locus controlling its expression, as evidenced by a 1:1 ratio of double to single flower plants in the F1 generation where a double flower individual was crossed onto a single flower individual. Subsequent analysis identified a SNP within an AP2-like gene on chromosome 3 that was able to differentiate between a single and double flower phenotype. Secondly, flower color inheritance revealed the recessive nature of white flowers compared to orange and red hues. SNPs near a PGLOX gene, previously linked to anthocyanin-less pomegranates, distinguished between white and red/orange flowers, suggesting specific genetic loci involved in determining flower color. Lastly, the dwarfing trait was identified as recessive, exhibiting phenotypic diversity among selfed F1 individuals, indicating potential multiple loci control. Further investigation into the genetic mechanisms governing dwarfing is warranted. In conclusion, our study contributes to understanding the genetic underpinnings of ornamental traits in pomegranates, offering insights valuable for breeding programs aimed at developing novel varieties with desirable ornamental characteristics. Further research into the identified genetic loci promises to enhance our understanding and facilitate targeted breeding efforts in this versatile fruit species.

Hybrids originating from different species within the Muenchhusia section of Hibiscus are well-received in commercial markets for their vibrant and abundant blossoms. However, many commercially available varieties prove overly robust for smaller garden spaces, often yielding a limited number of blooming flowers. The cultivation of stable, heritable mutants displaying a dwarf stature and improved branching architecture holds significant promise for enhancing the commercial production of resilient Hibiscus. The objective of this project was to induce point mutations in genes linked to the biosynthesis or signaling of plant growth-related hormones, using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Successful induction of multiple mutations associated with dwarf, compact phenotypes was achieved. Hybridizations were carried out between M2 plants exhibiting a dwarf phenotype and hybrids generated through traditional breeding that lacked the dwarf mutation in their genetic background. This aimed to produce a diverse array of dwarf plant selections. The inheritance patterns of the dwarf genes were elucidated by analyzing the segregation ratios of the dwarf phenotype in the F1 and F2 generations of these hybrids. In comparison to non-dwarf progeny, dwarf progeny exhibited significantly shorter internode lengths and a greater number of primary branches.

Lagerstroemia indica L. is a favored landscape plant in mild-climate regions, cherished for its easy propagation and cultivation, prolonged blooming period, and variety of plant forms. The majority of new cultivars are the result of cross hybridization. However, compatibility issues arise with some cultivars and species. To enhance our understanding of the cross-compatibility of our elite cultivars, we selected four plants (C14-35, C14-39, D03-29, and D03-34) for reciprocal crosses and for crossing with other elite plants, chosen for their clean foliage and extended summer bloom periods. A total of 3126 crosses were made in the summer of 2023. By the season's end, 731 fruits were harvested to assess seed set, and viable seeds were counted in winter 2023. From these efforts, 20,862 seeds were harvested, with 5,470 identified as viable. Interspecific crosses with L. speciosa revealed that C14-35 and C14-39 had significantly better fruit set percentages (40% and 35.2%, respectively) compared to D03-29 and D03-34 (6.3% and 0%, respectively). Thus, C14-35 and C14-39 exhibit greater compatibility with L. speciosa. For reciprocal crosses, C14-39 and D03-34, when used as pollen donors, resulted in much lower fruit set percentages and seed sets than C14-35 and D03-29. Pollen studies of the four cultivars indicated that both C14-39 and D03-34 produced little to no pollen, while C14-35 and D03-29 were prolific pollen producers. Future cross hybridization studies will therefore avoid using C14-39 and D03-34 as pollen donors. A seed germination study is planned for spring 2024 to further assess the various cross combinations and confirm interspecific hybrids.