Advances in Prairie Gentian (Eustoma Grandiflorum (raf.) Shinners) Breeding Research and Cultivation

Abstract

Prairie gentian or lisianthus (Gentianaceae) is a beautiful cut flower valorized by its long-time vase life. This species native to the southern United States and northern Mexico shows a lot of variations in colors, shapes, and sizes. Due to its ornamental characteristics, it has been widely disseminated and its demand has increased. Based on its growing demand and morphological characteristics could be considered as the new rose. Its domestication and variability generation have been performed since 1930 and resulted in numerous commercial cultivars. Some problems appear in the commercial culture, when temperatures exceed 25 °C it increases the percentage of plants with rosette formation in almost all commercial lisianthus cultivars and reduces or delays bloom. This process in lisianthus is controlled by external and internal factors which determine successful pollination and seed production. Among these, temperature and light quality are key factors. On the other hand, disease prevention is another concern in lisianthus breeding. Insects such as thrips, caterpillars, and leafminers, and fungi such as Rhizoctonia sp, Fusarium sp., and Botrytis cinerea, are some of the pathogens that negatively affect prairie gentian production. In this sense, biotechnological tools could be used for genetic manipulation to solve some of these problems. Transgenic plants could be pathogen resistant, earlier in bloom, and show other characteristics of interest to improve plant and flower production and reduce time and cost of production.