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Introduction of new plants is critical to the survival and profitability of the horticultural industries. These provide a marketing edge and can offer real benefits in terms of utilisation to fill special needs, such as providing screening a residential area from traffic noise, using living walls of plants, or providing an area to remove nutrient run-off from suburbia and prevent nitrification of sensitive wetlands. This chapter discusses the diversity of plants in the world’s biomes from tropical, cool and warm temperate forests to deserts and alpine tundra environments. It covers a wide diversity of new plant material that includes the magnolia (Magnolia spp.), the Christmas poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), the conifers (pines, firs and cedars), the holly (Ilex spp.) to the diverse and unusual Australian and African xerophytic wildflowers such as the banksias (Banksia spp.), and kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos and Macropidia spp.). There has been a world history of discovery and selecting plants from known plant hot spots. This search started in earnest from the 1500s and continues to the present day with collectors looking to find new forms and colours and to introduce new qualities into established plants. It also introduces the developments in breeding new cultivars from existing genomes, including straight crossing to cellular techniques. Introducing a new plant is a complex process involving a number of steps from establishing a market, meeting production requirements to ensuring that the new plant survives and flourishes, often in a different environment to its native habitat and can involve use of greenhouse and chemical treatments. Considerable research has been expended on tailoring production management systems best suited to a particular plant given the diverse range of plant responses possible. This involves the development of propagation techniques such as tissue culture where cutting propagation fails, and the development of correct irrigationand nutrient scheduling to maximise production and manage growth stages. It also involves ensuring the plant achieves the level of performance expected in terms of vase life or yield and maintaining the right form and colour. These requirements are particularly critical where trade and transport is involved. An area often difficult to get right is to ensure that the new plant is actively protected, ensuring that the investment is properly rewarded and provides value to ensure continuation of further plant development. |
