LACHENALIA: DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF A NEW FLOWER BULB CROP

Abstract

The Roodeplaat Vegetable and Ornamental Institute of the ARC initiated the Lachenalia breeding program in 1973. The first potplants were commercially available in 1997. Several problems were encountered that hampered earlier availability of the product in the commercial sector. The problems were largely due to the fact that Lachenalia is a novel product. This overview of the program discusses the importance of commercialization as part of the introduction of a new crop. Even after the first hybrids became commercially available, continued inputs from the research team were needed for success. These inputs included continued research in crop production, active technology transfer to growers and the actual establishment of new commercial growers as well as the production of propagation material. The experience gained during this period gave researchers an important insight in the necessary procedures involved in the development of new crops in South Africa. INTRODUCTION Lachenalia J. F. Jacq ex Murray (Hyacinthaceae) is a bulbous genus that consists of more than a 100 described species. It is endemic to South Africa (SA) and Namibia and has a distribution throughout the winter rainfall areas of South Africa (Duncan 1996, Dold & Phillipson 1998), with the largest concentration of species in the Western Cape Province. The main reason for selecting this genus in the development of a new crop, was the large phenotypic variation present in the genus. There are three different basic flower forms. The hyacinth (L. carnosa Bak., L. unicolor Jacq.), the bell shaped flower (L. aloides (L.f.) Engl.) and the tubular flower (L. bulbifera (Cyrillo) Engl., L. viridiflora W.F. Baker). The colors range from reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, purples, greens, whites and even blues. The breeding program on the genus started in 1973 at the Roodeplaat Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC-Roodeplaat) (Lubbinge 1980). The genus has a three-year breeding cycle from seed to flower and once a suitable hybrid has been selected, the hybrid is propagated vegetatively. The main aim of the program is the breeding of new pot plants. This implies specific selection criteria for short, compact plants, acceptable multiplication rates (multiplication is mainly done via leave cuttings), good keeping quality and regular flowering. The commercial grower must also be able to manipulate the flowering time of the crop to produce pot plants throughout the year. An evaluation of the development path of the program is discussed. The development of the breeding program is reviewed from the start to the present situation and the process is evaluated in terms of our current approach to new product development (Niederwieser, Kleynhans and Hancke, 2000). We conclude with a discussion of the importance of the whole product approach and the involvement of a multi-disciplinary Proc. 8th Int. Symp. on Flowerbulbs Eds. G. Littlejohn et al. Acta Hort. 570, ISHS 2002 82 team in the commercialization of the products of the breeding program. PHASES OF THE LACHENALIA PROGRAM The development of the research program has been divided into five phases by Niederwieser et al (1998). The fifth phase is updated to include the latest developments. Phase I: Establishment of a Genebank and Evaluation of the Breeding Potential (1965-1972) During the first phase of the breeding program that stretched over a seven year period from 1965-1972 the program consisted of a small genebank. Basic procedures for breeding and genebank maintenance were determined and the first species-species crosses were made. Selections (based on phenotypic appearances) were made and material was supplied to several growers for evaluation. This phase was concluded by the SA Bulb Grower Association’s recommendation that hybrids have a commercial potential. Phase II: Development of Improved Hybrids (1973-1982) The second phase of the breeding program stretched over a period of nearly 10 years. During this period a large number of crosses were made and superior hybrids were produced. Initial characterization and evaluation work was done and the first problems arose. Growers identified the susceptibility of Lachenalia to the Ornithogalum mosaic virus. The virus problem was addressed by the initiation of tissue culture propagation for the supply of disease-free stock material to growers. This phase was concluded by the application for Plant Breeders Rights for 5 cultivars. Phase III: Evaluation of the Commercial Potential (1983-1992) The approach of the institute during the first three phases of the project was that the bulb growers in SA and The Netherlands had enough expertise to develop suitable cultivation practices. This, however, proved to be a fatal mistake that delayed the commercialization of lachenalia for several years. The extent of this mistake became apparent during phase III. Local growers experienced problems, because no cultivation information or information on virus control was available. They planted the bulbs in the wrong soil types, used incorrect storage temperatures, fertilization etc. and they did not have the expertise or resources to conduct in-house cultivation trials. These problems were emphasized when the first trials were conducted in Holland. The Dutch applied techniques of well-known winter bulbs such as hyacinth on lachenalia with detrimental results. Conditions in the Northern Hemisphere greatly differs from that in SA and that also had a large effect on the growth habit of the plants. This emphasized the fact that a whole new set of production protocols was needed to commercialize the project. This phase was concluded with a visit to Holland in 1992 by the project leader (the political isolation of South Africa was ended in 1991). Prior to 1991 researchers in South Africa were isolated and networking was difficult. Nineteen ninety-two is seen as the watershed year for the lachenalia program. Several Dutch breeders emphasized the importance of the whole product approach for new crops. For the successful commercialization of a new crop all the relevant information including production protocols must be available. This led to the realization of the fact that ARC-Roodeplaat had to take a strong lead in not only the actual commercialization of the product but most important the development of the required technology for production and the continuous supply of disease free propagation material. Phase IV: Revitalizing of the Research Program (1993-1996) The above-mentioned decision led to the start of a multi disciplinary research program with a large committed team. During this period an average of 250 crosses per year were made. A hybrid evaluation system including all the relevant selection criteria was established, implemented and improved. Several propagation methods were tested