Is it possible, with new gene splicing techniques, to create new
varieties of CPs using genetic engineering techniques that gave
us stuff like the flavor saver tomato? Perhaps a Nepenthes plant
with genes for large size and cold-tolerance spliced in? In addition,
in the early 1980's, I heard news reports of a company in Atlanta,
GA, working on a Cattleya-type orchid that grew in trees outside,
with genes spliced in that allowed the orchid to tolerate temperatures
as low as 20 degrees farenheit? Has anyone heard more on this?
20 degrees would kill a normal Cattleya in about one hour.
Has anyone done genetic engineering research on CPs? Would be
interesting to gene-splice a vegetable or flowering plant with a CP,
that allowed the commercial plant to capture it's own insect
predators. For example, sticky leaves on a plant that stopped
aphids and ants, or a bean plant with pitchers that captured
beetles. Or corn ears with VFT traps that captured moths and
moth larvae.
---Steve