Breeding of Asiatic hybrid lily cultivars to flower with increased number of flowers in one year from bulbils

Abstract

The objective of this research was to produce Asiatic lily (Lilium ×elegans Thunb.) hybrids in one year starting from small propagules with more than 3 flowers. Bulbils were harvested 30 days after flower (DAF) and treated with a sequential temperature treatment at 5oC for 2 weeks followed by 20oC for 2 weeks, and finally at 5oC for 2 weeks (5oC/2 W – 20oC/2 W – 5oC/2 W) and potted. Flowering was the earliest when ’Inferno’ was used as a maternal parent; however, incidence to virus symptoms and a few flowers produced did not favor the use in breeding. Selected hybrid of ‘Connecticut Lemon Glow’ × ‘Beni no Mai’ produced 3.3 flowers and is considered suitable as a potted plant; however, flower morphologies should further be improved. Selected hybrid of ‘Yellow Blazer’ × ‘Horner’s Back Gold’ produced more than 3.5 flowers on a short stem (28 – 31 cm) and considered as suitable for potted plants. Hybrid of ‘Beni no Mai’ × (‘Yellow Blazer’ × ‘Horner’s Back Gold’) was considered as suitable for cut flower use, as 2.9 – 3.5 flowers were produced on a stem longer than 70 cm. To produce more than 3 flowers starting from bulbils, new hybrids should be bred based on the incidence of virus infection, early flowering, floral morphology, and plant height.

Keywords

• lilium×elegans
• bulb harvest
• pot plant
• cut flower
• forcing bulblets
• virus susceptibility