Since the advent of colorful orchids, the criteria for their appreciation have undergone significant transformations. Initially, any Cymbidium with a basic green hue and distinct markings was considered valuable. Over time, however, additional evaluation factors such as proportionality, leaf roundness, vibrancy, and overall plant structure became increasingly important. Nowadays, the ideal Chong Lan not only features striking colors but also adheres to the traditional aesthetic standards of green orchids. The specific requirements for these plants include:
â—Ž Evenly distributed color channels, balancing white and green hues in a harmonious way.
â—Ž Strong color contrast, with clarity and brightness that make the plant visually captivating and three-dimensional.
â—Ž Stable distribution of the color channels across the leaves, ensuring symmetry and aesthetic appeal.
There are five main types of colorful orchids: round channels, ramp channels, color channels, and golden silk channels. Varieties like Guolan Clan, Japanese Cyan, and others offer unique characteristics that need to be considered during breeding. Careful selection of parents is essential to meet these demands. Historically, since the introduction of colored Clivia in the 1980s, only around 15-20% of plants with uniformly striped patterns were chosen as female parents, leading to an emergence rate of up to 70%. This means that a comprehensive assessment of both maternal and paternal traits is crucial to achieve complementary traits and produce superior orchid seedlings.
When selecting a female parent, transparency in the silk road is highly valued, along with consistent color channel distribution and high color purity. Ideally, the contrast between porcelain and dark green should be pronounced. Other factors like leaf dimensions, head shape, seat type, brightness, thickness, and stiffness should also be considered, ensuring that the offspring's emergence rate remains high while maintaining desirable qualities.
For male parent selection, more transparent silk Dolan varieties are preferred. The goal is to address any deficiencies in the maternal traits and enhance them. In practical production, it’s observed that certain paternal parents yield varied results across different generations of mothers. Thus, identifying an excellent paternal parent requires extensive practice, observation, and documentation.
Clivia hybrids require artificial pollination since they don’t self-pollinate. Proper pollination techniques, after selecting suitable parents, can lead to fruitful outcomes. Necessary tools include pollination toothpicks, brushes, glass dishes, tweezers, labels, pencils, or ballpoint pens. It’s vital to prepare these tools ahead of time and use separate tools for each parent to avoid cross-contamination.
The optimal pollination time occurs when the mother’s floret cracks 2-3 days before the stigma begins secreting mucus, indicating pistil maturity. Morning hours, specifically between 9-10 a.m., or early afternoon (1-2 p.m.) are ideal. Pollen collection should be timely, using tweezers to remove stamens and store pollen in a covered glass dish.
Pollination involves applying pollen from the male parent to the female stigma using a brush or toothpick. Alternatively, direct pollination can be done by rubbing paternal anthers against the stigma. Ensuring proper pollination may require multiple attempts, especially with the same paternal parent. Labels should record details such as pollination times, fathers' names, and operators.
After pollination, removing spent flowers prevents nutrient wastage. Successful pollination is indicated by ovary inflation. Post-pollination care includes timely soil replacement and watering to prevent fruit drop. By winter, fruits take about 8 months to mature, signaling the need for timely seed collection.
Seeds are harvested by cutting flower buds and drying them for 10-15 days. After peeling and washing, seeds are dried and stored or sown immediately. Grain selection eliminates underdeveloped seeds. Basic records should document seed details, including numbers, dates, and parentage. These seeds should then be stored in a cool, dry, sealed environment until ready for planting.
Author: Hebei Shijiazhuang Agricultural School
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