Leucadendron Molecular Marker Breeding

Leucadendrons are a long-lasting dramatic foliage, great for the hot northern hemisphere summer. They are well cultivated in Australia and have high important economic value as cut flower. The availability of molecular markers for Leucadendron can be useful in assisting parent selection and in increasing  the efficiency of the breeding program. A team of researchers from Udayana University, Bali and University of Western Australia are working together to develop the Leucadendron variety. Based on a molecular fingerprinting  technique called ISSR technique, three cultivar pairs were identified to be similar.

In Leucadendron, the male and female flowers develop on separate plants and sex identification is only possible at the time of flowering. Using another molecular technique called "suppression subtractive hybridization" in combination with a selection technique, sex-dependent DNA fragments were identified. The information produced provides a basis for Leucadendron variety development and may be used to assist the design of interspecific crosses, and  identify cultivars and parents of hybrids. According to the researchers, the results also offer insight into likelihood of finding sex-specific markers for genes controlling sex in Leucadendron.

More details are available at http://biotechindonesia.org/ or email Made Pharmawati at m_phar01@yahoo.com. For other information on biotechnology in Indonesia, contact Dewi Suryani at dewisuryani@biotrop.org