#Plant Breeding

[botaniqueer]

Also in plant news, EuphORBia (E. obesa) has become a father yet again and has carried four new babies to term! The other father is E. horrida so I’m excited to see how the weird hybrid babies will turn out.

[lemonlimekodkod]

[bumblebeeappletree]

The name Aglaonema is not so well known in Australia, but in Indonesia, the genus of plants is so popular it has its own theme song. Tammy and guest presenter Sean Salim, ‪@onlyplants‬ visit plant breeders Mia and Greg Hambali to see the wide range of Aglaonemas they are growing.

Greg Hambali is well known in plant circles for producing some of the world’s best-loved cultivars, but of all the plants he has worked with, the Aglaonemas are the heroes in his greenhouse. He has bred about 100 hybrids.

His daughter Mia learnt the ropes from her father at his Bogor nursery and now runs her own nursery in Bali.

Mia shows Sean some of the behind-the-scenes tricks of the trade – using a paintbrush to move pollen from one parent plant to another – and explains the patience needed to wait for results: sometimes up to eight months for seeds and then even longer for the hybrid plants to grow before you can select the best plant from all the thousands of ‘babies’.

Greg shows Tammy some of the many cultivars he has created. Tammy is used to seeing these plants in shades of green, but here there are pinks and reds in a whole range of combinations. It is the colourful plants that are most popular, especially the red ones, because in Indonesia red is associated with bravery and luck.

The main parent that brings these red tones to hybrids is Aglaonema rotundum, from the island of Sumatra. Greg compares this plant to salt in the kitchen – “without it all the dishes are bland”.

Because each individual hybrid is different there is always an incentive to keep trying to see what the next combination will bring.

Mia shows a huge pile of boxes filled with labels of hybrids that have been deemed a ‘failure’ – not different or interesting enough to propagate. She says her father has produced more than 10,000 ‘failures’ in his lifetime. “I’ve already made more than 1,000 failures and I intend to make any more before I achieve success,” says Mia. “A failure is not the end of the world. We keep doing what we’re doing and we never give up.”

Behind the nursery is a huge experimental garden. It’s more like a personal jungle than a garden, with something new at every turn.

Sean finds a Paradise Palm similar to one that he killed by underwatering - he says it should never dry out and likes acidic soil and bright shade.

Tammy finds a Philodendron ‘Java Beauty’ with leaves almost as big as her!

For decades Greg has been working on breeding Salak – a palm with a sweet firm fruit that’s an important food in south-east Asia. It’s also known as snake fruit because of the pattern on the fruit’s hard outer skin. The skin is peeled off, like a rambutan, revealing a white, soft fruit inside with three segments, each with a pip in the middle. Tammy is surprised to taste both sour and sweet at the same time.

Greg aims to breed a fruit with even better flavour – and on a palm with fewer large spikes on the stems, so it is more gardener-friendly!

Rest in peace:

Gardening Australia expresses great sympathy for the family of Greg Hambali, the incredible plantsman, fondly regarded as the Father of Indonesian Aglonema, who died a few months after filming this segment, on November 4, 2023.

He will be deeply missed by his family and plant lovers in Indonesia and around the world.

Featured plants:

Aglaonema cv.

Aglaonema rotundum

Paradise palm (Licuala mattanensis)

Philodendron ‘Java Beauty’ syn. Thaumatophyllum cv.

Salak (Salacca zalacca)

Filmed in Bogor, West Java

[rjalker]

Parent plant: Orange Punch (Canna x hybrida) (YK, assuming this one isn't another seedling of Orange Punch...)

[ID: A photo of a canna lily flower from the front, showing deep orange petals with a yellow and orange speckled throat. Another flower bud stalk is visible below the flower, and blue-green leaves are visible in the background. A white hand is holding it with the index finger to hold it still, with a small brown organza bag held at the bottom of the photo. End ID.]

The oldest obvious offspring: unnamed

[ID: A photo of a different canna lily from the front, this one with bright yellow petals with very pale orange speckles. Small green fruits are forming on the stem behind it. There is a white hand for scale. End ID.]

The first of our seedlings that flowered: Firebird's Repose

[ID: A photo of another canna lily from the front, with bright orange, wide petals with a specled yellow throat, and small fruits on the stem behind it. A white hand holds it still, with another flower showing the outside of the petals as yellow at the base, then orange at the top. A red and yellow shoe is visible on fake grass below. End ID.]

(the fake grass is just a small mat we got for free, we use it to help keep fire ants out of these pots in particular)

The second of our seedlings to flower: unnamed

It was behind a taller plant so I didn't notice the flowers until they were already falling off which is why it's just the drying petals.

[ID: A photo of several small, partially dried canna lily petals held in a white hand in front of a white wall. The ends of the petals are starting to turn brown and shrivel, but deep orange tips, with yellow speckled with orange, is still visible. End ID.]

The third of our seedlings to flower: unnamed

I want to name this one Narcissus because it just makes me think of a daffodil.

[ID: A photo of another canna lily flower stalk, being held up in front of a white wall. This plant has bright yellow flowers with small, pale orange speckles on the inside, and solid, bright yellow petals on the outside. End ID.]

do daffodils grow near water so it looks like they're leaning over it and that's why they're called narcissus? or is it just because they're so pretty....

[prachicmi2]

Plant Breeding Market is Anticipated to Witness High Growth Owing to Precision Breeding Technologies

The Global Plant Breeding Market is estimated to be valued at USD 15.75 Bn in 2025 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.6% over the forecast period 2025 to 2032.

The plant breeding market encompasses a wide array of advanced breeding products and services, including gene editing tools, marker-assisted selection, and hybrid seed development. These offerings provide enhanced crop resilience, improved yield, and resistance to diseases and pests, addressing food security challenges and promoting sustainable agriculture. Plant Breeding Market Insights is farmers and agribusinesses increasingly depend on these innovations to adapt to climate change, optimize land utilization, and meet the rising global demand for nutritious, high-quality produce. By leveraging cutting-edge molecular techniques, plant breeders can accelerate development cycles, reduce time to market, and enhance traits such as drought tolerance and nutrient use efficiency. This synergy of biotechnology and traditional breeding methods generates significant market opportunities, driving business growth across regions.

Get more insights on,Plant Breeding Market

[multisnapshott]

GMO vs. Hybrid Plants: Key Differences Every Gardener and Consumer Should Know

When choosing seeds or buying produce, you may encounter terms like GMO and hybrid plants. While both involve plant modification, they are fundamentally different in process, purpose, and perception. Understanding the difference between GMO and hybrid plants is essential for informed gardening, farming, and food choices. What Are GMO Plants? GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. GMO…

[hotzimbabwejobs]

Drive Plant Biotechnology Innovation: Lecturer/Professor Opportunity at NUST! - March 2025

The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) is seeking a dynamic and experienced academic to join their Department of Agricultural Genetics and Cell Technology as a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Plant Biotechnology! If you’re passionate about advancing plant biotechnology and shaping the future of agriculture, this is a fantastic opportunity. About the National…

[farmerstrend]

How Does Plant Breeding Work? And What Are F1 Hybrids?

Plant breeding is an age-old science, deeply rooted in the quest to enhance crop quality, yield, and resilience. Whether you’re a farmer aiming to improve your harvest or a curious gardener fascinated by the diversity of plant varieties, understanding how plant breeding works—and what F1 hybrids are—offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of agricultural innovation. Let’s break it down step…

[giftideasfromaycaramba]

The Garden of Invention" revisits the early years of bioengineering, when plant inventors were popular heroes and the public clamored for new varieties that would extend seasons, increase yields, look beautiful, or simply be wonderfully different from anything seen before.

Buy here:

[lemonlimekodkod]

Bioluminescent petunias!

This is so cool. I'm going to try and buy a plant next season.

[martianbugsbunny]

plant breeding companies stop being little bitches challenge *impossible*

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Well when you breed for one characteristic in a plant, you also breed for other, unknown factors. And dwarfing wheat, according to research that came out in 2020, has a less complex, smaller, weaker rhizosphere.

"Soil: The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy" - Matthew Evans

[sunflowerchill]

How to Breed Your Own Sunflower Varieties

[philearning]

PHI Learning Books on Genetics and Plant Breeding

Take your agricultural studies to new heights with our syllabus-specific textbooks! If you are studying M.Sc. AGRI. (GENETICS & PLANT BREEDING), we've got you covered for academic success. Buy from https://www.phindia.com/Books/ShowBooks/MTUzNQ/Genetics-and-Plant-Breeding

[tinyshe]

@plutoniumpossum

𝐃𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠🍂🌸🌾🌸🍁

https://www.instagram.com.floretflowers