The orchid family is one of the largest families of flowering plants known for their beauty and economic importance. This work provides information in key areas of research that are important to both scientists and commercial growers alike. The main purposes of this book are to provide key practical areas of research, such as, germination, micropropagation, traditional and current techniques related to plant improvement; document methods that ensure survival of plants from laboratories to greenhouses; promote communication between scientists and growers, so that their combined expertise on these areas will lead to the successful growth of orchids in their natural habitats or commercial greenhouses. This book can serve as reference for laymen with an interest in orchid growing.
This book is divided into 5 parts. The first part emphasizes propagation methods using seeds and related techniques that are important to plant conservation and improvement. Successes in asymbiotic and symbiotic seed germination are keys to orchid conservation and their propagation. The second part summarizes micropropagation methods, common media, and newer methods of micropropagation such as the bioreactor culture procedures. The third part focuses on techniques related to the manipulation of explants in an in vitro environment. The fourth part covers cell biological methods and transformation techniques. Since the successes in a laboratory setting do not guarantee plant survival and propagation in greenhouses and in the natural environment, it discusses greenhouse propagation techniques that are essential to the survival of plants generated from a laboratory setting. The fifth part showcases recent successes on orchid propagation by documenting sample publications and how to present orchids in an artistic fashion for one’s enjoyment.
Yung-I Lee received his Ph.D. degree in Horticultural Science from the National Taiwan University. After spending two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, Dr. Lee joined the Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, where he is now a Curator. His primary research interests have been the conservation biology of orchids, especially
in vitro propagation and mycorrhizal association. Dr. Lee also served as the chairman of Orchid Working Group (2006-2010) in the International Society for Horticultural Science.
Edward Chee-Tak Yeung received his B. Sc. Honors degree from the University of Guelph and a Ph.D. in Biology from Yale University. After spending one year as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Yeung joined the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Canada, where he is now a Faculty Professor. His primary research interests involve the reproductive biology of higher plants, especially the structural and physiological aspects of embryo development. Professor Yeung is the recipient of the Lawson Medal in recognition of cumulative, life-time contributions to Canadian botany from the Canadian Botanical Association in 2014. He has co-edited two books with colleagues, entitled “Plant Embryo Culture” and “Plant Microtechniques and Protocols”. Both are published by Springer Nature, New York.
