Comprehensive approach and molecular tools for breeding and production of ornamental crops

The most fantastic feature of ornamental plants is their unique characters, different from plants in nature, which attract consumers all over the world to enjoy their special beauty. As crops, ornamentals are used not only for one special 'good' trait, but also for the whole plant body that usually consists of complex traits to form ornamental quality. What is more, multiple genes may control the expression of a trait. Modern molecular biological techniques provide some new approaches to deal with complicated multigene traits in ornamentals. As more plant genomes are sequenced, it is possible to understand the formation mechanism of specific traits (e.g., flower colour, shape, fragrance, and flowering time). Molecular breeding techniques not only make it possible to introduce genes (both overexpression of exogenous gene and inhibiting the expression of endogenous gene in transgenic plants), but also edit endogenous genes by using CRISPER/Cas9. It is possible to create brand new ornamental crops by using these tools in a comprehensive way. In the new century, bioinformatics can help us to integrate more breeding information both with traditional and modern approaches. Such efforts cannot only benefit the flower industry but also improve our insights to understand the underlying mechanisms of plant characters to enforce the basic research of plant biology.