Question for the larged brained slipper growers/breeders

[limuhead]

Hi All,
Just for confirmation, I was curious, if I use some of my warmer growing species/hybrids (longifolium, sargentianum, pearcei, etc) as a pod parent will I have a better chance to produce warmer growing hybrids? I have some really nice kovachii hybrids with intense color that few of my friends here in Hawaii can grow(too warm for most, I live in the highest residential area on Oahu at 1150 feet). I am hoping to get some of that color into some stuff that people can grow at lower elevations. Would it be better to use the warmer growers as pod or pollen donors? Love to here what everyone thinks.
Mahalo, Fred

 

[PaphMadMan]

My perspective, others may certainly vary...

A plant gets all of the chloroplasts and mitochondria in its cells from the pod parent. They have genes that are independent of the nucleus, and they do photosynthesis and energy processing for the plant, and more. That's a fair chunk of the physiology of the plant that definitely is more influenced by the pod parent. If you were concerned about appearance I don't think it matters much in a general sense, but for temperature preferences I think it is reasonable to expect the pod parent to contribute disproportionally.

 

[mormodes]

You going to the Paph Guild (now known as the 1st World Slipper Orchid Conference) in Hilo on Jan 17-18 at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel? Info should be at orchiddigest.org Prime opportunity to pic people's brains.

 

[limuhead]

You going to the Paph Guild (now known as the 1st World Slipper Orchid Conference) in Hilo on Jan 17-18 at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel? Info should be at orchiddigest.org Prime opportunity to pic people's brains.

I am now, thanks! Didn't even know about this, I guess that's what happens when you work 50+ hours a week. Happening in my own back yard and didn't even know about it...

 

[TyroneGenade]

I would bet on improved heat tolerance from using heat tolerant pod parents (based on Kirk's explanation). I have a friend who cranks out molecular phylogenies of little fish from streams in Africa. He has to select different DNA sequences for analysis for each ecosystem as there is selection on the DNA (coding or non-coding) and this correlates with water temperatures of the environments. My guess, based on limited data, is that the genetics of energy physiology and environmental tolerance are strongly linked to mitochondria. Of course, the issue might be about water supply more than energy consumption in which case using heat tolerant plants as pod parents might have no more effect than doing the cross the other way around.

Do the experiment, make reciprocal crosses, and let us know the outcome.