Genetically-modified, colour-altered varieties of the important cut-flower crop carnation have now available for number of years.
only flower color-modified varieties of carnation and rose have been released on the market of some countries, depending on their regulation concerning production and/or commercialization of GMO.
The manipulation of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway that has lead to the development of these varieties and how similar manipulations have been successfully applied to both pot plants and another cut-flower species, the rose.
Genetically modified (GM) plants, also called transgenic plants, are designed to acquire useful quality attributes such as insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, abiotic stress tolerance, disease resistance, high nutritional quality, high yield potential, delayed ripening, enhanced ornamental value, male sterility.
The major commercial benefit of the application of this technology has so far been the development of novel flower colors through the development of transgenic varieties that produce, uniquely for the target species, anthocyanins derived from delphinidin. These anthocyanins are ubiquitous in nature, and occur in both ornamental plants and common food plants.