THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORCHID PRODUCTION IN ISRAEL

Israel has variable climatic conditions - long hot dry summer with high solar radiation and a rainy season during the winter with high light intensity. Several species of wild terrestrial orchids are found in Israel. Flower production began in the 1950s and was based on traditional crops, while simultaneously searching for new crops. By the 1970s, research and development of Phalaenopsis had commenced. At the same time, private entrepreneurs were initiating acclimatization and breeding of Cymbidium as a cut flower. Cymbidium was grown in the hilly areas (600-800 m above sea level), Phalaenopsis and other orchids were grown in warmer areas. Attempts by the growers to export these yielded low prices, so production during those years focused on cut flowers and pot plants to the local market. In recent years, more growers have gradually joined orchid production, growing mainly Phalaenopsis. The plants are grown in Israel for 12 to 24 months and then sold on the local market. These nurseries also grow Dendrobium, Oncidium, Phaphiopedilum and Cattleya. Since 2000, Solo-Shtil Nursery produces Dendrobium bigibbum for export. The beginning of the acclimatization process involved selection from many different prototypes grown from seedlings originating in Thailand. Some 15 prototypes were chosen for tissue culture propagation and further selection. Out of those prototypes, four were chosen as varieties with good marketing potential. All four have pink-colored flowers, but vary in flower size, pseudobulb length and number of flowers in the inflorescence and the main difference - flowering date. By selecting varieties with different flowering times, the nursery is able to supply flowering plants almost year-round. Moreover, high winter light intensity in Israel increases the number of flowering pseudobulbs per exported plant. However more work must be done to widen the color range of Dendrobium bigibbum to supply the changing demands of the world market.