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, Started on 2023 -
Completed on 2025
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The Philippines is one of the countries that contributes between 70% and 80% of the world’s plant and animal’s species, making it to top 18 mega- biodiverse countries of the world. It also ranks fifth in the number of plant species. Such unique biodiversity is supported by a large variety of ecosystems, landscapes and habitats, most of which are also greatly threatened by natural calamities and human activities that are complicated by climate change. The Philippines is known to be rich in orchid species. Orchids are one of the largest and most diverse groups of flowering plants in the Philippines, composing 1200 species, varieties, and forms (Saavedra and Pitogo, 2021). It is the most threatened group of plants due to habitat destruction and harvesting abuse. In the Philippines, 97 species
are already critically endangered that represents approximately 8% of the orchid species recorded in the country (DENR, 2017).
Orchids are highly diverse, with an estimated 30, 000 species belonging to the Orchidaceae family, which is one of the largest and most diverse families in the plant kingdom. It is divided into five subfamilies: Apostasioideae, Vanilloideae, Cypripedioideae, Epidendroideae, and Orchidoideae (Chase & Christenhusz, 2017). The plants are monocot, epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial in nature. The wild population of orchids can multiply through seeds and vegetative propagation. These plants are grown, harvested, and traded for ornamental purposes as they provide aesthetic value and cultural significance. The plant’s polysaccharides, alkaloids, and other chemical constituents also
promote medicinal and commercial value.
Orchid species are very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, habitat change, and illegal harvesting that causes great species decline. The collection of wild orchid populations as a source of stock plants for economic trade instead of commercial multiplication is a serious threat. The extensive uses in floral and other industries have resulted in the depletion of the population of many orchid species, making them on the verge of extinction. As a result, successful conservation of orchids in the wild is difficult and requires input from various research disciplines. Past research on orchid conservation has focused on taxonomy including identifying and describing new species. With emerging technology, molecular biology of orchids has been the practice in contributing to conservation by facilitating successful propagation of many threatened orchid species. In recent past, in vitro culture methods of propagation have been used to reduce collection pressures on wild populations (De, 2021). Ex situ and in situ conservation, which includes seed germination, protocorms, micropropagation involving leaves, roots, shoot meristems, and inflorescence segments showed great potential for creating valuable and high-quality
orchids.
Research in breeding is known to improve orchid plants, size, shape, color, shelf life, and growth habits that are preferrable to consumers’ appeal. Mutation as a tool for improvement has been used in the breeding of new varieties of orchids. The use of chemical mutagens to induce mutation is a powerful tool for orchid improvement; this includes ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) and colchicine. EMS is a widely used chemical that induces random points of mutation in plants, creating new stop codons in the desired genes, while colchicine, a chemical mutagen, can cause the doubling of chromosomes, resulting in polyploid individuals. Such mutagens have been known to produce mutants
that carry notable or unique traits, producing new orchid varieties. Therefore, the project focused on the development of locally available novel orchid varieties with high aesthetic values, increasing the market value of the orchid. At the same time, it helps in the conservation and preservation of endemic orchid species found on Mt. Pangasugan and
has high prospects in the discovery of new orchid species.