The Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology in the South Central Coast applies tissue culture technology to preserve the genetic resources of the rare orchid lineage of the An Lao giant.
According to Master Le Duc Dung, Deputy Head of the Department of Vegetables, Flowers and Ornamental Plants under the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of the South Central Coast (abbreviated to the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology DHNTB), Dai Chau orchids are endemic to natural forests. An Lao district (Binh Dinh) and distributed mainly in areas with elevations above 600m above sea level.
The tree belongs to the group of single orchids, with beautiful shape, upright stem, strong roots, glossy green leaves, twisted leaves without leaf stripes like Dai Chau varieties of Thailand, Laos...
Dai Chau orchid leaves grow horizontally, curved down symmetrically, the stem is arranged in 2 rows opposite each other, leaves on one row alternate with leaves of the other row, leaf length is from 30-40cm, leaf width is 4-5cm. Inflorescence 20–40cm long, flowers drooping, white flowers with purple spots, purple lips.
Flowers bloom at the end of December of the lunar calendar, the flower life is from 25-30 days, so it is very popular. Especially, the flower scent is very fragrant, which is the great advantage of Dai Chau orchids distributed in An Lao forest.
Dai Chau Orchid Garden is applied by the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of the South Central Coast. Photo: Vu Dinh Thung.
Lan Dai Chau gives beautiful flowers, is a precious orchid that has been confirmed to have economic value. Over the years, before the increasing demand for forest orchids, the value of Dai Chau An Lao orchid has increased. Currently, 1 Dai Chau An Lao orchid for fortune telling flowers costs about 2 million VND, causing many people to defy the danger, crept into the deep forest to exploit and destroy, leading to the natural source of Dai Chau orchids becoming increasingly exhausted. high risk of genetic loss.
Besides, Dai Chau orchid seeds, like other orchids, are seeds without endosperm, so they do not germinate themselves under normal conditions, but must be symbiotically specific to have the ability to germinate.
The extraction process also makes the amount of orchid seeds dispersed in the wild less and less. In addition, climate change and human impacts have narrowed the natural forest area, causing the loss of suitable habitat for Dai Chau An Lao orchid. Therefore, under natural conditions, seeds are difficult to germinate and develop into seedlings, increasing the risk of extinction of this precious orchid.
Master Le Duc Dung, Deputy Head of the Department of Ornamental Vegetables and Plants of the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of the South Central Coast is examining Dai Chau orchid buds. Photo: Vu Dinh Thung.
Faced with the above situation, the research team of the Institute of Science and Technology of DHNTB collected the fruit of Dai Chau orchid from An Lao forest at the physiological ripening stage, then applied tissue culture method (in vitro propagation) to conserve. and develop the Dai Chau precious orchid line.
According to Master Le Duc Dung, the in vitro nutrient medium can be applied to many different plant species. In the formula with adequate nutritional content such as macronutrients, microelements, vitamins, growth regulators, the rate of use is different depending on the plant object.
Each laboratory has its own technological know-how applied to different plants such as chrysanthemums, orchids, and forestry seedlings. In addition to nutritional factors, light and temperature factors are also very important in the culture process.
The head of the department and the deputy head of the ornamental vegetables department of the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of the South Central Coast are checking the growth and development of Dai Chau orchid pots grown in greenhouses. Photo: Vu Dinh Thung
The Institute's research team collects fruits from well-growing and well-developed trees that are not infected with pests and diseases to put them into culture under sterile conditions. The time from sowing seeds into the nutrient medium to germination takes about 2 months.
After that, continue to select healthy embryos and transfer them to seedling growth medium. After 2 months, the plants will continue to be transplanted to the complete plant growth medium. When the plants have 4-5 roots, 2 complete leaves, they are trained to get used to the temperature and light conditions in the nursery, improving the survival rate of the seedlings when planted.
“We apply invitro culture technology to be able to conserve, exploit and use the genetic resources of Dai Chau An Lao precious orchid for 5 years to both meet the needs of the people and provide the market with a a large number of seedlings, both contributing to the conservation of Dai Chau orchid's genetic resources distributed in An Lao forest", said Master Le Duc Dung.
Currently, because Dai Chau orchids in the wild are now exhausted, orchid players who want to own a natural orchid have to spend up to 2 million VND. Meanwhile, Dai Chau An Lao orchid grown by the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology DHNTB sells for only 300,000 VND/plant.
Currently, orchid players in Binh Dinh province, Binh Dinh people are settling in Ho Chi Minh City and many other provinces and cities know the value of Dai Chau An Lao orchid, so they buy this very strong orchid. "The age of the tree determines the price of the orchid, the older the orchid, the longer the flower will grow and the more brilliant the flower will be," said Master Dung.
