Journal of Biotechnology and Biodiversity, March 2010; 1(1): 32 -36 ISSN: 2087-0183 RESEARCH The intergeneric crossing of Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor Sri Hartatia* aDepartment of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami no 36A, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia Received : 5 August 2009 Accepted: 27 August 2009 Abstract To study the intergeneric crossing between orchids of Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor, three species of Phalaenopsis sp. (Phalaenopsis Joane Kileup June, Phalaenopsis Pinlong Cinderella, and (Phal. Fortune Buddha x Phal. Princess Kaiulani) were crossed reciprocally with Vanda tricolor in time-different value (within the first, second and third week after full opened flower). The crossing of Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor was compatible, and the use of Phalaenopsis sp. as male parent had better probability in producing fruits rather than the opposite. The crossing which was done at the first and the second weeks after blooming produced more fruit than the crossing at the third week after blooming, even though it did not affect the success of crossing, time of fruit formation, and duration of fruit hanging. Key words: Intergeneric Crossing, Orchids, Phalaenopsis sp., Vanda tricolor INTRODUCTION One strategy to make a new-hybrid compatible to Doritis pulcherrima var. cultivars of orchids is by crossing between the Champornensis (Hartati, unpublished results). orchid-parents having different characters. To assess the effect of time of crossing (week Orchid hobbyist usually prever to collect after blooming) in order to make new hybrid hybrid resulted from crossing orchids, orchids with more attractive flower characters because the hybrided orchids have more to the fruit formation in, Phalaenopsis sp. and various colour, pattern, size, shape of flower Vanda tricolor was intergeneric crossed. and more likely to have longer life of flower (1). Therefore it is beneficial to create a new hybrid by crossing one species to another. MATERIALS AND METHODS The interspecies crossing (crossing The research was done in the ‘paranet among the species member of one similar house’ of Agricuture Faculty of Sebelas Maret genus) strategy is commonly used by the University from February until September, scientists as well as by the growers. However, 2008. The plants used in this experiment were for the best of our knowledge, orchid hybrids Phalaenopsis sp. (Phalaenopsis Joane Kileup from the intergeneric crossing strategy is not June, Phalaenopsis Pinlong Cinderella, commonly used. As long as the both parents Phalaenopsis Fortune Buddha x Phalaenopsis have similar characters, the intergeneric Princess Kaiulani) and Vanda tricolor. crossing is possible (2). Hartati and Nuryanti (unpublished results) found that Phalaenopsis Correspondence Author: *Sri Hartati sp. compatible to be cross with Vanda “Dr Department of Agronomy Faculty of Agriculture, Aniek FCC” which are both different in genus. Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami no 36A, Surakarta 57126 Furthermore, Phalaenopsis sp. was also found Telephone / Fax: (0271) 632451/ (0271) 632451 E-mail: [email protected] 32 The Intergeneric Crossing of Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor Hartati. S The Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor of crossing did not affect the success of were crossed reciprocally in factorial crossing. Either the Phalaenopsis sp. or Vanda experiments. First, we did parent treatment tricolor used as male parent showed that all (S) focusing on the female Vanda tricolor as flowers succeded to form fruits, except the follows: crossed with Phalaenopsis Joane cross of Phalaenopsis Pinlong Cinderella Kileup June (male) (S1), Phalaenopsis Pinlong (female parent) and Vanda tricolor (male Cinderela (male) (S2), and Phalaenopsis parent) which just had the percentage of 33 % Fortune Buddha x Phalaenopsis Princess (Table 1). Kaiulani) (male) crossed (S3), respectively. In order to role out the influence of the crossing Table 1. The percentage of fruit formed execution time (W), we crossed at the first and the compatibility of the crossed week (W1), second week (W2), and the third combination week (W3) after full blooming, respectively. Combination of Fruit formed Compatibility crossing (%) Level Second, we did parent treatment (S) S1W1 100 Compatible focusing on the male Vanda tricolor as follows: S1W2 100 Compatible crossed with Phalaenopsis Joane Kileup June S1W3 100 Compatible (female) (S4), Phalaenopsis Pinlong Cinderella S2W1 100 Compatible (female) (S5), and Phalaenopsis Fortune S2W2 100 Compatible Buddha x Phalaenopsis Princess Kaiulani) S2W3 100 Compatible (female) (S6), using different crossing S3W1 100 Compatible execution time as above. S3W2 100 Compatible S3W3 100 Compatible Crossing was done at 7 to 9 am. Mature S4W1 100 Compatible fruits of orchids were harvested at the age of 4 S4W2 100 Compatible – 6 months after crossing execution. The S4W3 100 Compatible mature fruit was characterized by the change S5W1 100 Compatible of color from green to yellowish. We also S5W2 100 Compatible S5W3 33 Compatible measured the success of crossing by examined S6W1 100 Compatible the fruit emergence number/crossed flower S6W2 100 Compatible number, the time of fruit formation (days), the S6W3 100 Compatible fruit life duration (days), and the percentage of readily harvested fruit and percentage of immature fallen fruit. The data were Crossing would succeed to form fruit statistically analyzed using F test and Duncan when the parents used at the crossing have Multiple Range Test of 5 %. closely genetic heridity (2). Interspesific and intergeneric crossing of Vanda sp. usually have low percentage of success because of some RESULTS AND DISCUSSION problems such as abnormality on meiosis, low fertility and pollen sterility (3). Purwantoro et The Success of Crossing al.(4) indicated that based on the morphological characters of the flower, There are many factors affecting the Phalaenopsis form one cluster, while Vanda success of crossing such as pollen condition form different cluster split from the cluster of (healt, freshness, maturity, sterility) and Phalaenopsis. However, Phalaenopsis sp. was compatibility level of crossing. Pollen compatible to one of the Vanda species, Vanda condition is strighly important in determining “Dr Aniek FCC” (Hartati, unpublished results). the success of crossing as the first step of The present data confirmed that Phalaenopsis pollination is the unity of pollen and stigma, sp. was compatible to Vanda tricolor, then the pollen will emerges to form pollen eventhough they have different genus. tube to reach ovule. The success of crossing is determined from the ratio of the emerging Compatibility of crossing is shown by the fruit number to the number of flower being ability of female parent to form fruit (5). crossed in percentage. We found that the time Wang(6) classified the compatibily compatible 33 Journal of Biotechnology and Biodiversity, March 2010; 1(1): 32 -36 ISSN: 2087-0183 when it can form fruit more than 20 percent, partly compatible when 10 – 20 percent, and incompatible when it less than 10 percent. Based on the Wang Classification, the crossing of Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor in the present experiment was classified as compatible (Table 1). Time of Fruit Formation Time of fruit formation is determined from the day of crossing execution until the day of fruit emergence which was indicated by thickening at the fruit basal. Time of fruit formation, from Figure 2. The time needed of fruit formation of the pollination to fruit emergence in orchid varies crossing of Vanda tricolor (male) and Phalaenopsis sp. depends on the species (5). In general the fruit (female) at different time of crossing execution. of orchids will normally form at the 3 or 4 days after pollination. The present data Fruit Life Duration showed that the indication of fruit emergence appeared at the fifth day after crossing Fruit life duration is the length of time execution in average. Statistical analysis (days) which fruit remains hanging at the stem showed that the treatment of parent material until harvested or fallen down before mature. as well as time of crossing did not show Not all fruit formed can be harvested. The significant effect to the time of fruit formation, period of fruit maturity of orchids varies except for the crossing of Phalaenopsis Joane depends on the species. Dendrobium usually Kileup June (male) x Vanda tricolor (female) needs 2.5 to 3 months to reach mature fruit, executed at the third week after blooming Phalaenopsis needs 3 – 4 months, Vanda needs which the fruit emergence appeared at the 12 6 months and Cattleya needs 9 months (7). The days after. Moreover this pair of crossing in its present data showed that the crossing of reciprocal crossing data also indicated a Phalaenopsis sp. (male) x Vanda tricolor longer time when crossing was executed at the (female) performed the longer period of fruit third week after blooming (9 days) (Figure 1 hang, 82.67–181 days after crossing execution, and 2). The fastest fruit formation was showed while its reciprocal crossing performed only by the crossing pair of Phalaenopsis Joane 17–69.67 days (Figure 3 and 4). However, the Kileup June (female) and Vanda tricolor shorter time of fruit hang for the crossing of (male) crossed at the third week after Phalaenopsis sp. (female) x Vanda tricolor blooming. (male) did not necessarily indicate the shorter time of harvest. This may be elaborated by the data of the number of harvested fruit. Figure 1. The time needed for fruit formation of the Figure 3. The fruit life duration of the crossing of Vanda crossing of Vanda tricolor (female) and Phalaenopsis sp. tricolor (female) and Phalaenopsis sp. (male) at different (male) at different time of crossing execution. time of crossing execution. 34 The Intergeneric Crossing of Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor Hartati. S formed fruit when crossed with Phalaenopsis Fortune Buddha x Phalaenopsis Princess Kaiulani) as female parent. Almost all the fruit fallen down before harvested (Figure 6). This result indicated that the crossing of Phalaenopsis sp. and Vanda tricolor more compatible when Phalaenopsis sp. was used as male parent than that of the female one.