Summary

This project will target selected cultivars and hybrids within the genus Grevillea, including those used for cutflowers and landscaping, to ensure a broad spectrum of genetic diversity.

Targeted cultivars and hybrids will be subjected to a range of treatments to determine the ideal methods for initiation into tissue culture. Once cultures are stabilised and have sufficient yield research will begin into various subculture and rootstrike protocols.

Once the optimum treatments have been determined these plants will then be deflasked and evaluated in the greenhouse and nursery for growth and time to flowering.

The research will then be published in the appropriate forums, including industry newsletters and magazines.

Program

New and Emerging Plant Industries

Research Organisation

Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority

Objective Summary

This research proposal will deliver tissue culture protocols for propagating and deflasking Grevillea that will significantly reduce the standard time to propagate these plants through conventional means. For example many of the tropical Grevillea hybrids used as cut flowers can take three to four months to strike at rates of less than 50%, whereas rootstrike through tissue culture can take two to three weeks at rates in excess of 90%. Deflasking then occurs a week or two later.

It will determine the time to flowering for selected Grevillea varieties from the time of deflasking. Cutflower varieties such as G. whiteana, G. hodgei (marketed as G. ‘Spiderman’ in Israel) and G. ‘Moonlight’ will be a significant focus for the project.

Finally it will result in the publication of contemporary methods of propagation for commercially relevant Grevillea cultivars and will enhance the Australian industry’s capacity to better exploit the range of Grevillea species and hybrids for cutflowers and landscaping.