The “Eternity series” of dahlias, bred for their long vase life to facilitate long-distance transport, still faced the challenge of ethylene-induced petal abscission. To address this, cultivars with long vase life and low abscission rates were crossbred, aiming to produce offspring with both desirable traits. In a study conducted during the summer-autumn of 2021, the flower life of these offspring was tested against ethylene exposure, classifying their abscission rates as high, mid, or low based on their response time and occurrence of abscission.
Out of 105 lines, 17 exhibited mid to low abscission rates and were further assessed in greenhouse conditions during the winter-spring of 2021-2022. Three lines (F182-10, F181-14, and F182-17) showed no petal abscission and maintained a drawing resistance force of 1.0 N during senescence, indicating a low degree of abscission.
These findings were consistent in a re-evaluation in the summer-autumn of 2023, with improved vase lives observed in lines F182-10 and F182-17 compared to the ‘Port Light Pair Beauty’ cultivar. This study marks the first report on breeding dahlias with both a long vase life and a low degree of abscission, highlighting the potential for developing cultivars that can withstand ethylene sensitivity and have an extended display life.
Takuo Fujimoto, Takashi Onozaki. Crossing and Selection of Dahlia (Dahlia Cav.) Lines with a Lower Degree of Petal Abscission.
https://doi.org/10.2503/hortj.QH-149