Every year, millions of poinsettias brighten up windowsills around the world. But behind the festive plant lies a hidden problem: the beautiful branching, which gives the poinsettia its decorative shape, is caused by a bacterial infection. Without the bacterium, the plant simply cannot be sold, which means that production has for decades relied on controlling this plant disease.
This has created challenges for growers, both in managing the infection and in carrying out the labor-intensive manual pinching of poinsettia shoots necessary to achieve the desired shape.
Now, researchers from Aarhus University, in collaboration with Graff Breeding A/S, have found a completely new path: poinsettias that branch naturally without bacteria and without the need for extensive manual pruning.
A green breakthrough for poinsettias
In the project StarQuality researchers have investigated the genes that control branching in poinsettias. Using the latest plant breeding techniques, they succeeded in developing plants where a single genetic modification allows the poinsettia to branch naturally.
Read more at: Phys.Org
