Improving Poinsettia Form and Flowering with Biotechnology
Dr. Richard McAvoy, University of Connecticut, $32,000
2006 Annual Progress Report
INDUSTRY NEEDS ADDRESSED
We proposed to transform poinsettia with a unique gene that would alter plant form by increasing lateral branch development & the number of flower initials. Plants with this unique genetic characteristic would not require mechanical pinching or the use of plant growth regulators in order to modify plant growth habit. Thus, this technology can reduce production costs associated with spray materials as well as the labor used for pinching & spraying. It also has the potential to increase market opportunities by creating novel growth & flowering habits in this crop.
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