During the week of March 11 through 15, nine breeders will introduce to the world, from the Bogotá Savanna, the new varieties of dianthus that will become trendy for the upcoming season.
"Breeders have placed dianthus in the spotlight of innovation at a worldwide level. Given the fact that Colombia has optimal conditions for producing and exporting cut flowers, the Dianthus Week is the best platform to show new varieties all over the world. Thus, it enhances the perception that carnation buyers and international customers have, reinforcing the concept that they are modern flowers with infinite textures and colors", said Augusto Solano, CEO of the Colombian Floriculture Business Association, Asocolflores.
"Dianthus Week 2024 will allow breeders to present to producers, buyers, and other local and international stakeholders of the floriculture chain the new dianthus varieties developed and adapted in our country. At the same time, visitors from different countries will find in the so-called "Open House" visits to farms the proper and suitable space to meet with others and generate new business opportunities."
"The commercial activities that will be carried out during the Dianthus Week 2024 shall apply further strength to the export of this species, one of the most representative of Colombia in the world. It will be carried out by initiative of 9 important breeders, through the coordination and articulation of Asocolflores, the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters", says Solano.
And thanks to the efforts of the hybridizers in Colombia, the concept around carnations has been changing and evolving. They have been able to create amazing combinations of color and texture, while they have never overlooked quality parameters, vase life, and phytosanitary aspects, making them more versatile in flower arrangements.
According to Solano, this is an event that will demonstrate, conclusively, why Colombian carnations are the best in the world. Likewise, guests to flower plantations will experience first-hand all the innovation processes developed in the country to ensure sustainable floriculture.
To carry out a hybridization program with Dianthus, deep knowledge of the varieties is required, as well as a significant and well-documented collection of genetic material in order to attain, year after year, the attempted crossing programs. Thus, thousands of seeds are graded and selected to obtain new varieties as part of a process that takes 4 to 6 years.
The main export market for these species is the United States, with 40% participation in volume, followed by Japan with 15%, Holland with 12%, Poland with 5%, and Spain with 5%.
The breeders and hosts of the "Dianthus Week 2024" are Ball, Selecta One, BreierCross, Danziger, Dümmen Orange, HilverdaFlorist Colombia, Propagar Plantas, Santamaría, and SB Talee de Colombia.
The relevance of carnations
Dianthus is a category of plants from the Caryophyllaceae family, with varieties such as Dianthus barbatus and Dianthus caryophyllus. The latter is commonly known as carnations. Dianthus means "flower of the gods". It was the Greek Theopharastus who named it. The term "Dianthus" is derived from two Greek words: "dia," meaning god, and "anthros," meaning flower. The carnation flower is commonly related to feelings of love, admiration, and joy. It is usually associated with beauty and pride, but thanks to its wide variety of colors, each one is compared with a different emotion or feeling. Red for love, passion, and sensitivity; yellow for disenchantment and rejection; pink for motherly love; purple for elegance and charm; and white for innocence and pure love.
For more information:
Dianthus Week
www.dianthusweek.com
Asocolflores
www.asocolflores.org