Paula Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch) indoor variety

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the behavior of the Paula poinsettia variety (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch) and to describe its characteristics, based on the guidelines established by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). Design/Methodology/Approach: The genetic improvement included hybridization and selection techniques. To promote compaction and greater branching, it was grafted on a commercial variety. The cuttings obtained gave rise to the Paula variety (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch), which was described in 2020, based on the Guidelines for the Conduct of Tests for Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. A completely randomized experimental design with 10 replications was used. Vegetative and bract characteristics were recorded and an analysis of variance was applied, as well as a Tukey’s mean comparison test (P≤ 0.05). Results: The Paula variety is medium-sized and has a wide breadth and medium branching. It is pale green in the middle third of the stem. It has oval-shaped, long, and broad leaves of the same medium-intensity color, and a wedge-shaped base. It has a long petiole with a pale green upper side. This variety also has many elliptical red bracts of medium length and narrow width. Compared to other INIFAP varieties, the vegetative and bract characteristics of Paula presented statistical differences. Study Limitations/Implications: The commercial production of poinsettia is carried out through asexual propagation. The mother plant is kept in a vegetative state, through comprehensive and intensive management, preventing its flowering and obtaining a continuum of propagation material. Findings/Conclusions: Paula has an intermediate cycle, with quality and competitive size, branching, and color of the bract (red). It can satisfy the taste and preference of consumers in the domestic and even foreign markets

Mejoramiento genético de nochebuena en México: logros y contribuciones por el INIFAP

“…Como centro de origen y de diversidad existen poblaciones altamente plásticas que contienen diversos genes de interés. Las principales estrategias de mejoramiento aplicadas a la nochebuena han sido: partir de una base genética amplia, seleccionar materiales con los mejores atributos que demanda el mercado, recombinar genotipos contrastantes, entre otras; con respecto al fenotipo de planta se ha puesto énfasis en reducir el porte, aumentar el número de ramas y mejorar la arquitectura de la planta (Canul-Ku et al, 2018a), mediante injerto (García-Pérez et al, 2017), que es una técnica de propagación asexual (vegetativa) que consiste en unir dos plantas diferentes para que, una vez unidos sus tejidos, se comporten como si se tratara de un solo y único individuo.…”

“…La reproducción de la nochebuena es de forma sexual y asexual (Canul-Ku et al, 2012b;García-Pérez et al, 2013), la ventaja de que sea por la vía sexual es que se genera mayor variación, ya que al haber entrecruzamiento origina la recombinación genética dando origen a nuevos individuos con información genética diferente (Canul et al, 2012a). En cambio, mediante la vía asexual los nuevos individuos que se generan no sufren modificación genética alguna y solo asegura que los fenotipos favorables sean pasados a la siguiente generación de cultivo (Mckey et al, 2010).…”