Flowers are an invaluable gift that enhances the beauty of nature with its diverse colors and contributes to human well-being. Ornamental plants play a crucial role in providing environmental security for immediate living surroundings, which led to the initiation of extensive research in floriculture, particularly on crop plants.

This book elucidates the application of genetics and breeding in flower crops, covering a broad range of aspects. The breeding techniques primarily focus on accelerating the production of superior and stable lines in self-pollinating crops. Breeders employ various methods, such as wide hybridization, tissue culture, and mutagenesis, to generate new alleles and broaden the available genetic resources. Molecular markers are used to assist breeders through marker-assisted selection and to identify quantitative trait loci for traits of interest. This book aims to provide readers with an accessible understanding of the breeding process and its objectives, different breeding methods, methodology for improving specific crops, stress resistance, quality improvement, mutagenesis, molecular breeding, and genetic engineering.

Section I: Fundamentals of Breeding: 01. Germplasm Acquisition and Conservation 02. Heterosis Breeding in Flower Crops 03. Genetic Engineering in Floriculture 04. Synthetic Seed Production Technology in Ornamental Plants 05. Flower Seed Production

Section II: Shrub Plants: 06. Azalea 07. Bougainvillea 08. Camellia 09. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) 10. Hibiscus 11. Hydrangea 12. Ixora 13. Nerium 14. Rhododendron

Section III: Bedding Plants: 15. Ageratum 16. Balsam 17. Cosmos 18. Impatiens Impatiens walleriana) 19. Pansy 20. Petunia 21. Phlox 22. Salvia 23. Zinnia Section IV: Potted Plants: 24. Begonia 25. Cacti 26. Dahlia 27. Geranium 28. Orchids 29. Poinsettia Section V: Aquatic Plant: 30. Lotus

Section VI: Climbers: 31. Clematis 32. Sweet Pea

Section VII: Colour Plates