Invited by CATAS-RRI Dr. Kenneth W. Leonhardt, a horticulture specialist at the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa, paid a visit to CATAS-RRI and CATAS-TGRI from 28 November to 8 December 2016. He met and discussed with CATAS-RRI scientists who visited Hawaii in 2015 and was recommended to visit CATAS-RRI. During his stay in Hainan Dr. Leonhardt shared his experience in the development of improved ornamental plants for Hawaii and Leucospermum cultivars. His experience in breeding is highly valuable and helpful to breeders in ornamental plants and rubber tree multiploidy to improve ornamental quality and rubber yield. Trials in breeding of multiploidy rubber trees were made by CATAS scientists in 1970s-1980s and those resultant polyploidy plants were not found to have special high-yield trait. However, Dr. Leonhardt recommended to continue polyploidy researches and to enlarge the size of the population for selection. He also visited the ornamental plants and orchids group under the Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute and gave some presentations on development of orchids and shared his experiences with them. Comments and advices were also given during his field visits to rubber plantations, oil palm collection, botanical garden and orchid gardens.
