Flower breeding by quantum beam technology, and its commercialization
2008
Okamura, M.(Kirin Agribio Company, Ltd., Sakura, Tochigi (Japan) Plant Research Center)
The efficiency of ion-beam irradiation in obtaining floral mutants was investigated in carnation. Leaf segments of cv. 'Vital' were irradiated with carbon ions and cultured till shoot regeneration occurred. A wider mutation spectrum was obtained in plants irradiated with carbon ions than with gamma rays. In 2002, new carnation varieties were developed by ion beam breeding and commercialized in Europe and Japan. Another approach to inducing a wide mutation spectrum is chronic gamma irradiation. In the carnation cultivar 'Star', new yellow mutants were obtained through both ion-beam irradiation and chronic gamma irradiation. Chronic gamma irradiation gave a wider mutation spectrum than that produced by acute gamma irradiation. Analysis of the mutants revealed that the wild-type DFR gene disappeared in the L1 layer as a result of irradiation; this resulted in a yellow flower phenotype instead of an orange background. Chronic irradiation may be useful for minimizing radiation damage. The floriculture and ornamental business has been growing worldwide, and the Japanese domestic market amounts to 1.2 billion yen per year. The combined method of tissue culture with ionizing radiation - especially with ion beams - will soon useful for producing new commercial cultivars.
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