A bunch of researchers from the agricultural school of the University of Bengkulu discovered and documented the occurrence of 160 species of orchids present in this region.
“As a results of search expeditions conducted since 2012, many orchids have been discovered and this continues to this present day,” said one among the researchers, Atra Romeida, on Wednesday in Bengkulu, quoted by the Antara news agency.
The discoveries, Atra added, were a surprise to researchers and showed the natural richness of the Bengkulu forests.
“Some orchids are classified as endemic, which suggests they only grow in a particular area and never elsewhere,” Atra said.
To breed the newly discovered species, scientists along with the local Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) arrange a site for germplasm conservation and mass breeding using plant tissue culture techniques.
Tissue culture, or in vitro, refers back to the growth of tissue or cells separated from the body. Plant tissue culture is a particular term for a set of techniques used to take care of or grow plant cells, tissues or organs. With this system, plant populations may be quickly increased.
“The species we grow using this technique are pencil orchids, which are endemic to Lake Dendam Tak Sudah in Bengkulu town,” Atra said.
Atra, a postdoctoral fellow in plant breeding and biotechnology, said that in its natural habitat, the probability of successfully growing a pencil orchid from seed is simply 0.1 to 1 percent. However, because of tissue culture techniques, one pencil orchid seed can produce 10,000 recent seeds.
“This is because pencil orchid seeds only contain embryos, with no food reserves. Thanks to tissue culture, the orchid population may be increased,” Atra said.
Thanks to the strategy of tissue culture, the invention of 160 species of orchids creates export opportunities because orchids are a helpful commodity.
“Therefore, breeding is important for the conservation of such species, both at national and regional levels,” Atra said.
Source : Jakarta Post Office
