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History of Improvement in Ro
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Rose:
- Rose breeding has been receiving a lot of importance on the hands of professional nurserymen, amateurs and government research institutes. The main objectives of rose improvement have been to evolve varieties with attractive flower colour, form and fragrance, floriferousness, disease and pest resistance and their suitability for growing under sub-tropical conditions.
- B.K. Roychaudhary, a nurseryman in Santh Pargana was possibly the first Indian rose breeder who raised the variety 'Dr. S.D. Mukherji' in 1935.
- During 1956-67, B.S. Bhattacharjee and his sons developed several hundred rose varieties of which 125 are listed in Dr. B.P. Pal's book ‘The Rose in India’. He also recognized that a separate line is required for breeding in the warm tropical climate.
- Some important roses raised by Bhattacharjee are 'Heart Throb'. 'Raja Ram Mohan Roy', 'Sugandha', 'Kalima' among Hybrid Teas and 'Pandit Nehru' among Floribundas.
- Shri G. Kasturi Rangan has contributed to all the rose types by a prolific output of varieties numbering almost a hundred.
- Dr. B.P. Pal (IARI) has taken up rose breeding at institute level and developed some hybrid seedlings and released his first rose variety 'Rose Sherbet' in 1962.
- Other hybrids released by him are; 'Delhi Princess' (Floribunda) 'Dr. Homi Bhaba' (Hybrid Teas) 'Kanakangi', 'Poornima', 'Hasina', 'Lalima', 'Nayika', 'Rat Ki Rani', 'Raja of Nalagarh', 'Ranjana', and 'Surkhab'.
- Among the Floribundas, apart from 'Delhi Princess', several varieties like 'Banjaran', 'Chitchor', 'Madhura', and 'Suryakiran' are well known. Other important varieties are 'Divaswapna', 'Apsara', 'Arawalli Princess', 'Indian Princess', 'Akash Sundari', 'Golden Afternoon', 'Eastern Princess', 'Nishada', 'Sandeepini', 'Dr. R.R. Pal', 'Lal Makhmal’, 'Dilruba', and 'Ashirvad'.
- Late Raja Surendra Singh of Nalagarh, M.N. Hardikar and M.S. Viraraghavan developed varieties like 'First Offering', 'Mahadevi', 'Vanamali', 'Amrapali', 'Kanchi', 'Picasso', 'Priyatama', and 'Bhagmati'.
- Some of the popular varieties raised at IARI include 'Mrinalini', 'Bhim', 'Dr. B.P. Pal', 'Jawahar', 'Raktagandha' and 'Priyadarshini' (H.T.) and 'Prema', 'Chandrama', Neelambari', 'Sadabahar' and 'Mohini' (floribundas).
- 'Mohini', is having unusual chocolate colour. During 1991, the Institute has released six more varieties 3 in H.T. Group, 2 floribundas and 1 climber.
- Several varieties have also been evolved through natural mutations or as bud sports of existing varieties. At IARI, 3 rose varieties were developed through induced mutations are 'Abhisarika', 'Pusa Christina' from 'Christian Dior', and 'Madhosh’.
- National Botanical Research Institute (NBR1), Lucknow has been the other centre where significant work has been done in this field. It has developed and released nine gamma ray mutants. These are 'Angara' (from 'Montezuma'): 'Sharada' (from 'Queen Elizabeth') 'Sukumari' (from 'Americas Junior Miss') 'Tangerine Contempo', 'Yellow Contempo', 'Pink Contempo' (all from 'Contempo'); 'Curio', 'Twinkle' (from 'Imperator') and 'Light Pink Prize’ (from 'First Prize').
- At present rose improvement work is being carried out in different ICAR institutes and SAU's.
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