Recently, a new variety of edible lily, the "Zhongbai No. 1", bred by the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was granted with plant variety rights by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

This is the first edible lily variety in China to be granted plant variety rights. The new variety has a yield reaching 2,150 kg/mu (about 1,433kg/km²), far surpassing the traditional yield of Lanzhou edible lily at 750-1,000 kg/mu (about 500-667kg/km²).

Researchers at the Lanzhou Eco-Agricultural Research Station of NIEER combined systematic breeding, hybrid breeding, and polyploid breeding techniques, and cultivated the "Zhongbai No. 1", a high-yield, high-quality edible lily variety.

Midwestern China is a center of the natural distribution and diversity of the genus Lilium. The researchers from the station analyzed the relationship and diversity of 11 Lilium species in this region and compared their homologous genes using comparative transcriptomics.

The elevation was found a major factor that affected the morphological characteristics of the 11 species, and moisture (total annual precipitation and mean annual relative humidity) was also significant. The researchers identified 31 homologous genes in these species and constructed a phylogenetic tree based on orthologous genes.

Researchers at the Lanzhou Eco-Agricultural Research Station have been engaged in research and industrial development of special agricultural resources for decades, including lilies. After more than 20 years' research, the station has established a nursery for cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and salt-alkali-tolerant germplasm resource and a high-quality edible lily tissue culture seedling bank.

The researchers at the station have discovered several stress-resistant and growth-related genes associated with Lilium through positive selection. The obtained results provide a reference for the molecular study of Lilium germplasm resources to support breeding programs.

They have also produced tens of thousands of hybrid offspring materials for both edible and ornamental lilies, establishing a solid germplasm foundation for the high-quality development of the lily industry.

The plant morphology of Zhongbai No.1 (image by NIEER)

The bulb of Zhongbai No.1 (Image by NIEER)