Project Number: 6631-21000-018-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Mar 28, 2008
End Date: Feb 25, 2013

Objective:
1. Conserving tropical/subtropical ornamental crop genetic resourses and associated information important for the evaluation and utilization of that material. 2. Development and application of new or improved horticultural evaluation procedures and genetic marker-based approaches for genetic diversity assessment of the preceding genetic resourses. 3. Genetic improvement efforts directed to developing new, superior tropical/ subtropical ornamental germplasm. 4. Transfer of technology in the form of tropical/subtropical ormamental crop genetic resourses, associated information, and new, superior tropical/subtropical ornamental germplasm to researchers and breeders worldwide. 5. Evaluate containerized subtropical/tropical ornamental germplasm for its growth responses to different container media components. Where feasible, estimate for this germplasm the heritabilities and other patterns of genetic variation for adaptation/tolerance to the different container media components.

Approach:
Collect new accessions of subtropical/tropical ornamental plants that have commerical potential in the U.S. Evaluate newly collected accessions and existing material, primarily flowering trees and shrubs already on site, using phenotypic characters and molecular makers. Organize the information such that it can be used as descriptors for inclusion in the GRIN system. Utilize the molecular and phenotypical analysis to breed improved germplasm in support of the ornamental industry. Communicate and coordinate subtropical/tropical ornamental horticultural research with local and regional industry, universites, and foreign germplasm effort in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii.