Breeding Dendrobium phalaenopsis-cane type hybrid in India: NRCO- 42 (Den. “Emma White” x Den. “Pompadour’’)

Abstract

A new Dendrobium hybrid, NRCO-42 is developed using Dendrobium “Emma White” and Dendrobium “Pompadour” as parents. The crossing and in-vitro raising of progeny was done during 2003-04 and flowering obtained in 2007- 08. This double hybrid flowered with features of moth type Dendrobium (D. phalaenopsis-cane type) with bigger petals, overlapping petals and sepals (unlike D. nobilecane types) and purple colored (RHS N78A) having whitish shade at base. Colour enrichment over male parent could be due to the parentage of the hybrids used in crossing program and their pedigree record. More numbers of flowers are recorded in D. “Emma White” (9.5) than NRCO- 42 (5). The color of lip throat and column are whitish pink and white respectively in NRCO-42, helped as phonological markers. Side lobes of lip in new hybrid, NRCO-42 were semi-arching over column, unlike broadly open in male parent and semi open in female parent. Pedigree record of both the hybrids that were used as parents has been traced to origin with time frame which indicated that D. phalaenopsis, a native species to Australia and New Guinea, might have been extensively used in development of modern hybrids of moth type (or) double humped Dendrobiums. All the characters described support the novelty in the new D. phalaenopsis-cane type i.e., moth type hybrid, NRCO-42.