Role of Biotechnological Interventions in Improving the Traits of Flowering Ornamentals

Abstract

Improving the floricultural traits in ornamentals is of great value in floriculture and landscaping. Conventional methods have been and are being still used for improving the floricultural traits like vase life or floral longevity, ethylene sensitivity and visible floral morphological features, etc. in ornamentals by postharvest application of ethylene antagonists, plant growth regulators, sugar sources, protein synthesis inhibitors and antimicrobial compounds, etc. However, biotechnology offers a promising approach to improving the desirable attributes in flowering ornamentals like flower color, fragrance, longevity, ethylene insensitivity, disease resistance, etc. In the present review, the biotechnological interventions in enhancing the flower fragrance, flower color and flower longevity/vase life have been discussed and a number of suitable examples related to the improvement of these traits in various ornamentals have been provided. The mini-review intends to present a comprehensive update of the available literature regarding the improvement of these traits in flowering ornamentals involving the non-conventional biotechnological approach.