Cut Rose Cultivation Manual -

GENETIC IMPROVEMENTS AND

SELECTION OF NEW VARIETIES
Nowadays, breeding programs change depending on the
type of roses, e.g. garden roses, creeper roses for hedges,
or those for cut flowers grown in greenhouses or in open
air.

Genetic improvements of the rose

(concerning the transmission of characters
and hereditary) have definitely improved
since the Mendel laws of 1875. Since then,
the different kinds of roses grown in
gardens in China, Persia, Mesopotamia, The uniformity of the flowers is one of the goals of
Japan, Greece, Italy etc and acquired a genetic selection
great adaptability to the different
environments through natural pollination
and mutations.

Mendels laws presented great scientific

help to obtain new varieties in response to
new and changing demand for cut roses in
the European Market. Nowadays, breeding
programs change depending on the type of
roses, e.g. garden roses, creeper roses for
hedges, or those for cut flowers grown in
greenhouses or in open air (outdoor). Apart
from improved plant characteristics, for the
grower or consumers benefit, the program
also focuses on developing innovations to
save energy. Breeders intend to improve
and increase the following characteristics:

• The range of colours and shades. The type of flower opening preferred by Japanese
• The shape of the bud and of the flower markets
especially at the point of harvesting.
• The elegance of the shape and colour of
the bud must be accompanied by an
adequate and well-proportioned length of
the stem.
• The duration of the vase-life of the cut
flower. A rose cannot be marketed when
the vase-life is insufficient. 8-9 days should
be the minimum. Vase-life has to be
prolonged to the maximum possible by
artificial means if necessary. The flowers
ability to withstand long transportation to
far destinations without loosing quality
should also be taken into account.

• The presence of thorns, which customers

dislike, is subject to a strict selection.
• The development of new cultivars,
preferably red in colour, which will
produce with low- temperatures and light
conditions (winter). This is essential
because growers have an interest in
producing during periods when there are
few roses available. Obviously their prices The type of flower opening prefered by European
would be high. markets

• The plants productivity and quality.

Productivity is influenced by the cycle of
flower. This depends on various
characteristics such as the number and
length of the internodes underneath the
flower. To achieve good flowering
especially in winter, varieties which
produce few blind stems, due to lack of
light, are selected.

• The leaf quality. Strong and shiny leaves

associated with a high resistance to
different diseases such as Powdery mildew.
It is also important that the leaves have a
shape and size that compliment the stem
and flower.

• The length and strength of the stem is

essential, especially with cultivars that have
a large flower. In these cases the length (Schreurs) Pollination phase for a great pollination
should consist of 6 to 7 internodes. efficiency 3-4 flowers are left on each floral stem.

• The adaptability to the different climatic

environments around the world as well as
different soils.

The characteristics listed above will

improve with the arrival of biotechnology
and genetic modification. We refer to
colour pigmentation, resistance to Agro-
bacterium, nematodes, rootstock vigour,
new fragrances, etc.

The creation of a new rose variety is the

result of a breeding and selection process
that, as already mentioned, by the casual
union of genetic and chromosome
complement of the father and mother plant
(parents).

The various developmental phases of a new

rose variety, carried out at Piet Schreurs de
Kwakel BV in Holland, are briefly
described below.

Initially the parent plants are carefully

selected. These are grown, as all the other
plants, with sufficient foliage being the
green lung through bending to encourage Elimination of the petals and stamens (male portion)
good quality of stems and flowers. with suitable tweezers.
Thereafter, the photosynthetic mass or
green lung also known as bent foliage is
gradually reduced and eventually
eliminated after the pollination (all the
branches previously bent are cut away).

The mother plant or seed-bearer is grown to

produce 3-4 flowers per stem to increase
the number of subjects (flowers) to
pollinate. Once the seed-bearer plant is
ready, petals and stamen (male portion) are
cut off from the flower. The top of the
remaining pistils (stigmas) are brushed,
using a small paint-brush, which carries the
crossings pollen. Once completed, a label
identifying the crossing is attached to the
floral stem. Usually, in Holland pollinations
are done during May-July. After 16-20
weeks the ripe fruit (hips) are formed. They
are therefore picked during the months of
September-November. Of the picked false
fruits, the achenes are removed with a
special small knife. The pistils (female portion) are left on the flower.

The achenes are immediately sown in lines,

in special polyester containers and placed
in special dark germination rooms with at
0°C. After roughly 4-5 months (this
depends on the variety), germination is
completed. The containers are then taken to
a different controlled environment with
artificial light, a temperature of 20-22°C
and 60-70% R.H. to avoid fungal diseases.

Thereafter, they are carefully transplanted

in Jiffy type containers and sparingly (4-5) The pollen coming from a different variety of
watered. When the plantlets have reached a rose is placed at the extremity of the pistils
manageable size they are transplanted in a (pollination); (6) A label with details is attached to
vase with coconut and taken to the the pollinated flower.
greenhouse where for about a year, the
growth, colour, shape and flower-size will
be monitored. The plants that appear
suitable, will be vegetatively reproduced
(via cutting) and grown on rock-wool. This
is where the first selection phase begins.

The stem quality, the growth, the thorns,

the leaves, vase-life (in a testing room) and
mutations will be tested for about a year.
During the next phase, (2nd clone-selection
phase) the plants that meet the qualities
required are reproduced via cutting once (7) 13 weeks old pollinated flower (swollen
again. The characteristics are being receptacle); (8) 16 weeks old pollinated flower.
monitored for another year. The entire
process from sowing to the creation of
varieties successful for the grower and the
market can take 3 to 4 years.

Out of roughly 50.000 seeds or plantlets

raised during the breeding process, only 5
to 6 successful varieties are obtained. It is
obvious that these potentially successful
varieties have to be tested once more in the
different regions and environments.

Selection in Kenya

To reduce the risk of producing varieties of

roses that are not suitable for the various
regions such as Africa, Piet Schreurs de
Kwakel BV tests the varieties for the
African cultivation areas (DEL directly) in
Kenya near Lake Naivasha. By doing so,
the varieties bred by Schreurs in Holland,
can be selected for the environment in
which they eventually will be grown.

This variety selection in Kenya, practices

by Piet Schreurs de Kwakel B.V., is also
done in the other main rose producing
countries. The test greenhouse is divided
into three areas:

• In the 1st area, the selection starts

immediately on plantlets originating from
Holland (Schreurs).
• In the 2nd area, the plantlets that have
passed the first selection phase are
transplanted (2nd selection phase).
• In the 3rd area, the varieties that passed
the previous two phases are transplanted
again (3rd selection phase).

Between the phases the plantlets of the

selected varieties are propagated
vegetatively (via cutting or via stentling)
and are gradually bulked up to a number of
about 200-300 plantlets in the 3rd phase.
On average the entire selection process can
take 3 to 4 years before the varieties can be
put on the Market.

The afore mentioned will clarify that,

acquiring new successful varieties, large
investments are needed along with many
hours of specialist labour (breeder).
Furthermore, specialised greenhouse
structures and controlled environments for
the various breeding and selecting phases
are required.

Chromosomes, are universally known as

the carriers of genetic content (genes) of
each individual plant or animal specie.
Each chromosome, contains thousands of
genes responsible for the revelation of all
the morphological characteristics. With
roses, these are, for example, the shape of
the leaf, the size of the plant, quantity of
thorns, shape of the flower, colour and the
physiological characteristics such as
tolerance to low temperatures, diseases and
re-blossoming.

In each cell of a determined species of

animal or plant there is always a same
number of chromosomes. This number, in
the case of somatic cells of rose plants, can
be 2n=14 chromosomes, 4n=28
chromosomes and so on. In male sexual
cells (in the pollen granules of the anthers)
and in the female ones (the oosphers in the
ovules inside the ovary) such number is,
always half.

For example, if a given variety of roses has

a genetic complement made of 28
chromosomes in each cell of its vegetal
tissue (somatic cells), this number in its
sexual cells (pollen granules and
oospheres), is half, so 14 chromosomes.

The 28 chromosomes correspond to 14

couples of chromosomes in the somatic
cells (each couple is made of 2 similar
chromosomes); while the 14 chromosomes
are single in each sexual cell.

During sexual fecundation or breeding,

when the breeder (by brushing), puts the
pollen of a variety on the stigma of another
variety, the number of chromosomes will
become double again in all the cells of the
new plant. Through a reduction process or
meiosis, such number will only be halved
in the new sexual cells.

The fascinating thing about obtaining new

varieties, is that the male chromosomes
(inside the pollen) and the female ones
(inside the oospher), are distributed
casually during fecundation, so that inside
the new cells (the new plant that will grow
from the seed) the morpho-phisiological
characters will never be identical to the
mother or father plant. Instead they will be
intermediate as the Mendel laws anticipate.

The rule that the progeny or descent of a

reproduction or vegetative multiplication
(i.e. a variety of roses propagated via
stentling) is always the same and uniform,
can have some exceptions. For example,
during the subdivision of the cells,
suddenly a change in the genetic asset of
the new cells can occur. If during the
subdivision of the cells or during the
development of the mutated cells, buds
form that will grow as side branches
making the mutation visible, they will be
called bud mutation or sports.

Generally, mutations are frequent in roses

since they are subject to continuous
breeding processes. Most sports are not
useful for propagation as they form weak
and frail descent that do not show uniform
characteristics in the phases of vegetative
multiplication that follow.

Only when a mutation produces an

important character (i.e. colour) that
remains stable during the selection and
propagation phases that follows, then it is a
successful acquisition for the breeder.
Since the mutations are unpredictable,
physical mutagenic (like ultra-violet rays)
and chemical agent such as Colchicina (an
alkaloid that is obtained from the
Autumnale Colchicum plant), are
sometimes used. Both these products cause
a duplication of the chromosome
complement of the diploid plants making
them tetraploid plants. The latter is usually
grown to be more robust and have bigger
flowers.