Introduction: The Tropical Flower Research Center focuses on the predominant tropical flowers in Hainan province. Which includes tropical orchid, bougainvillea, anthurium, tropical aquatic flowers, tropical bulb flowers and perennial flowers, etc. A series of important achievements have been made in flower germplasm resource collection, variety breeding, technological innovation, theoretical research, flower industrial development, variety or technical demonstration and promotion, etc. That made outstanding contributions to the development of the tropical flower industry. We set up science research platforms such as the Technology Innovation Alliance of Florwer Industry and the Engineering Technology Research Center of Tropical Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Hainan Province. And also set up many professional germplasm gardens such as tropical orchid, bougainvillea, anthurium, foliage plants, woody flower plants, tropical water lilies, tropical bulb flower and perennial flowers and so on. We have 18 team members, including 5 doctors, 8 masters; and 3 professors, 5 associate professors, 6 research associates; 5 master tutors, and 7 provincial and ministerial level honorary experts.

1. Team of Research Center:

Director: Yang Guangsui

Associate directors: Niu Junhai, Li Chonghui

Research Groups: Tropical Orchid Research Group, Anthurium Research Group, Landscape Plant Research Group

2. Research Direction:

Based on Hainan, facing the tropical area, with the responsibility to solve the technical bottleneck in the tropical flower industry, the following research areas are set up: collection, preservation, identification, evaluation and innovative utilization of tropical flower germplasm resources; breeding of new tropical flower varieties; tropical flower healthy seedling production and high efficient cultivation; research on the formation mechanism of important traits of tropical flowers; research on the development strategy and policy system of tropical flowers.

3. Research progress:

(1) Collected more than 7,000 germplasm resources and preserved 238 in vitro, built the most abundant tropical flower germplasm resource garden in China and the largest in Hainan Province. Published 3 new species, 3 newly recorded species in China, and 2 newly recorded genus in Hainan, 23 newly recorded species in Hainan, accounting for about 1/10 of the existing orchid species in Hainan. And more than 500 excellent germplasms were screened.

(2) Greatly promote large-scale breeding, and have made major breakthroughs in the creation of new varieties (lines) such as dendrobium, anthurium, fragrant flower and potted tropical orchid, bougainvillea, tropical water lily, amaryllis and curcuma alismatifolia. 5 new variety rights have been obtained, 68 new varieties are submitted for application are in the stage of substantive examination or publicity, and 75 new varieties have been registered in the international variety authority.

(3) Overcome the technical problems that restrict production and development, and establish efficient seedling propagation technology and cultivation management technology, flowering period control technology, wild flower domestication and cultivation technology, etc., to promote industrial upgrading.

(4) To analyze the formation mechanism of important traits of tropical flowers, lay a solid foundation for shortening the traditional breeding cycle and carrying out molecular breeding.