In the fascinating universe of orchids, vibrant colors, exotic shapes and enveloping fragrances play an essential role.
However, behind all this beauty that enchants the eyes, there is an intense work of studies and application of techniques for the creation of new varieties.
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In Brazil, we can find more than 2,500 varieties of orchids, encompassing the various commercial groups.
This diversified offer can satisfy both passionate collectors, who seek rare and unique specimens, and broader markets, such as large wholesale and distribution centers for ornamental plants, such as the renowned Holambra market, located in the interior of São Paul.
These trade opportunities reflect the growing demand and enchantment that orchids awaken in different audiences, perpetuating admiration for these gems of nature.
University creates genetically modified orchids
Since 2017, the Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Tissue Culture, located on the Campus Araras of the University Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), has been dedicated to the development of genetic improvement of plants ornamental.
Relying on the support of the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the National Development Council Scientific and Technological (CNPq), through funding of research projects, the laboratory has achieved results promising.
Its first cultivars are already available on the market, demonstrating the success and relevance of this scientific work in creating new varieties of ornamental plants.
The work carried out at the Laboratory is innovative, as it involves crosses between Brazilian native orchid species and imported cultivars, seeking to combine the best of each variety.
“In addition to providing decorative beauty, our work aims to obtain orchid cultivars with rapid development and earlier flowering, in addition to presenting a compact size, following current market trends", says Jean Carlos Cardoso, professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Plant and Animal Production (DBPVA-Ar).
According to the researcher, although Brazil still imports most cultivars, national genetic improvement programs have gained strength in recent years.
This dependency on genetics Foreign trade has generated major impacts on the country's floriculture industry, with the cost of seedlings and royalties exceeding labor costs.
Therefore, the advancement of the national sector brings economic benefits and the development of varieties more adapted to local cultivation conditions.
How does the genetic improvement of orchids work?
Cardoso explains that the process of genetic improvement of orchids takes place in several stages, starting with crosses between selected plants, followed by breeding the daughter plants of these crossings.
These plants are cultivated in the laboratory and then in greenhouses, where those with desirable characteristics are selected. This mating and selection process can take anywhere from three to eight years, depending on the species.
At the Araras Campus Laboratory, dozens of crossings are carried out each year. During 2019, approximately 90 crossings were sown, and in 2020 and 2021, even during the pandemic, more than 100 crossings were carried out.
Some of these crosses have already resulted in flowering plants, most of which are still under cultivation in greenhouses, awaiting selection.
“After selecting the best plants, we started the cloning process in the laboratory to assess its stability and be able to supply producers with the necessary quantity of seedlings for production on a commercial scale”, explains Cardoso.
After registering the new varieties as cultivars, with the help of the Innovation Agency (AIn) and the Institutional Development Support Foundation Scientific and Technological (FAI-UFSCar), the next steps involve the transfer of technology through licensing agreements, until it reaches the consumer Final.
