Breeding of Double Flower Hippeastrum (Hippeastrum sp.) for Northern Region of Vietnam

Abstract

       In recent years, Hippeastrum cultivars grown in Vietnam are highly diverse in flower color, shape and size. However, the bulb supply is limited and the bulb’s price is expensive, especially of the double hippeastrum. To develop double hippeastrum varieties using Vietnamese Hippeastrum genetic resource, six crosses between six Vietnamese hippeastrum accessions (fmale parents) and 2 double flower hippeastrum varieties (male parents) were made at Vietnam National University of Agriculture in 2012. With six hybrid fruits collected a total of 286 hybrid seedlings were produced. Evaluation of 111 hybrids on major characteristics, specially those for use as potting plants or cut flower production, 29 hybrids were selected of which 13 had semi double petal and 16 full double petals. The hybrids showed diversity in the flower color (orange red, red, deep red, pink, white with red stripe or red with white stripe etc.). The flowers had 7,7 - 17,0 petals with/without fragrance. The flower diameter varied from 12,2cm (TH1-25) to 18,2cm (TH12-17) and the longevity ranged from 5 days (TH12-49) to 14 days (TH3-3 và TH12-23). Thesehybrids are the invaluable germplasm for the double flower hippeastrum breeding in Vietnam.