Source: DIGEST - Crop & Food Research's quarterly newsletter

Roses that look and smell like chocolate could become a reality.

Like blue orchids and red gentians, chocolate roses have been previously unattainable. Now that's changing as scientists work with breeders to meet the challenges of finding novel, high value products for export markets.

"New Zealand represents the champagne, top end niche of the world flower market and we've got to produce crops that command top prices in this fashion-driven industry," says Lyall Fieldes, managing director of New Zealand's biggest floriculture export company, Flowerzone.

He says that New Zealand has an excellent reputation for being innovative."We're well known for developing new cultivars and for bringing quality products to market.

"We must sustain our reputation for further growth," he says. "New flowers and novel colours, like the red gentian now in commercial trials, are important to the industry's future. We also need to develop flowers that grow well here when there is market demand, but that aren't well adapted to grow in the Northern Hemisphere at the same time. It's also important to avoid blooms that grow well at altitude in flower-producing countries such as Ecuador, Columbia and Kenya."

New technologies and systems are being used to produce previously only dreamed-of novel blooms.

"Understanding plant breeding and plant physiology helps us to develop techniques and new products," says Ed Morgan, ornamental scientist at Crop & Food Research.

Mr Morgan helped with the development of a new red gentian that is much sought after, particularly by the Japanese. He says, "The use of a range of in vitro breeding techniques allows us to make crosses for interspecific hybrids that aren't possible with traditional breeding, and to shorten the time between new generations. Also, scientists can improve crop production, extend and move the flowering time of crops, and extend the shelf life and quality of a bloom."

Research is the key to staying a step ahead of the rest of the floriculture world and getting premium prices, says Louise Sheehan, chairperson of the New Zealand Flower Exporters Association.

"Research is important in developing novel flowers, in speeding up the time it takes to get them to market, and ensuring that it's easy to grow large volumes at high quality," Ms Sheehan says.

An evocative experience such as the smell of chocolate as you admire your bunch of flowers from a loved one — or the opportunity to show that latest fashion, perhaps blue orchids, at a dinner party — may not be too far away. And New Zealand could well be the first to attain these floral dreams.

Other articles in this issue of DIGEST: http://www.crop.cri.nz/home/company-info/digest/index.jsp 

• New Zealand needs "smart science thinking"
• Working together to send New Zealand flowers around the world
• Commercialising Cyrtanthus
• Bulb business booming
• International consortium to create novel orchid colours
• New cultivars of native ornamentals
• Developing novel ornamentals with Chile
• Life's colourful solutions on display
• Advances in flavonoid research