Varietal Improvement of Rosa Hybrids

Abstract

16 combinations of self and cross pollination of four cultivars of roses were conducted. Successful selfing and crossing lied between 14.3 – 33.9% and 6.4 – 19.1%, respectively. Pollen germination depended on sucrose concentration and variety. The hips of unsuccessful pollination turned dry within 7 days. The hips needed 10-15 weeks for the seeds to mature, it was found that the number of seeds per hip varied from 1-40. Mature seeds required 5 °C for at least 70 days to promote germination and would germinate within 7 days, the germination percentage varied from 3.4-50%. Hybrid seedlings required 11 weeks to flower showing variation in flower colour and flower shape demonstrated incomplete dominant gene interaction and probably multiple gene action. Several hybrids from this experiment were selected.