Hi Don,
I’m far from an expert on the chemistry at play here, and you are clearly better qualified to judge the right path.
Ultimately though we are making the same point. Readily available genes and traditional breeding techniques can get us there, we don’t need GM.
Here is the article which explains how they did it. Very intresting. Disregard the blue rose picture at the top of the article.
Patrick
For colour comparisons it is interesting to regard the RHS colour values. Our Japanese contributor wrote: “For your information, the colour of Applause is 85b of R.H.S. colour chart.” It is also shown on the picture of the Suntory rose with the chart on it. The risk analysis mentioned before says it is 84C. Both are in the violet category. 85B is on the ‘Light violet’ on the RHS mini colour chart (I do not own the regular RHS charts). Blues are 98 and up.
“Blue Moon” is 84C, although it has undertones of 69C (which is pink), according to the patent info.
“Blue for you” is 83B (dark violet group), although the faded color is undescribed.
“Blue Skies” is 91C, which is a violet blue. And according to my quick patent search is more blue than any other ‘blue’ rose including Applause, although there is no description of the stage of the flower the colour of Blue Skies was measured.
Regarding the necessity of GM: we might not need GM to produce a bluer rose than the violet ones available today. But getting this color on a vigorous, highly productive cut flower rose using severe inbreeding of current non-GM mauve roses might be very difficult. With GM you can, in theory, implement the construct in an already desirable variety, only changing the colour in the process. It would be interesting to know if Suntory is pursuing a research path to raise levels of rosacyanins by GM.
Rob
It would be interesting to know if Suntory is pursuing a research path to raise levels of rosacyanins by GM.
Yes, they are.