Orchids possess a very special place amongst ornamental plants. But high ethylene sensitivity and early flower senescence of orchid result in a short vase life and rapid quality deterioration which is of great concern for the growers, traders and consumers. An attempt was made to study the influence of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) (0 and 300 nL L ) in prolonging vase life and maintaining quality of two cut orchid hybrids Dendrobium 'Darren Glory' (DDG) and Mokara "Calypso Jumbo" (MCJ). Results showed that orchid hybrids exhibited differences in their ethylene sensitivity, vase life, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) content and ACC oxidase activities. Pre-treatment with 1-MCP resulted in reduced ethylene production, vase life, ACC content and ACC oxidase activities, but increased bud opening %. Pre-treatment with аquеous ozone failed to influence all those parameters except bud opening %. Interaction effects of hybrid and 1-MCP were significant for ethylene production, hybrid and ozone for vas life, 1-MCP and ozone for bud opening %, and hybrid, 1-MCP and ozone for ethylene production and vase life. Aqueous ozone markedly contributed to the inhibition of microbial growth in vase solution. Pre-treatment of the cut orchid flowers with 300 nL L -1 1-MCP, followed by using 5.2 mg L -1 aqueous ozone as the vase solution could be recommended to maintain quality and extend vase life of both the DDG and MCJ orchid hybrids.
The time to senescence of flowers in Dendrobium hybrids is different and one of the major reasons for this variation in vase life can be related to differences in the level of ethylene sensitivity. This study was conducted to determine the sensitivity of six cut Dendrobium hybrids to exogenous ethylene. The cut orchid inflorescences were treated with or without 10 µL/L ethylene gas for 24 h, and then placed in bottles containing a standard vase solution. Water loss, vase life, anthocyanin contents and ethylene production were determined after the treatments. The results indicated that different hybrids showed distinct variances in ethylene sensitivities and degrees of deterioration. Dendrobium 'Darren Glory' and D. 'Jaquelyne Concert' × D. 'Rinappa' exhibited the utmost hyponasty, weight loss and degradation of anthocyanin content in sepals and petals. Thus, these two hybrids were categorized as the very sensitive group. On the other hand, D. 'Sonia Red', D. 'Shavin White', D. 'Sonia White' and D. 'Sonia Bom' showed lower sensitivity and hence were categorized in the less sensitive group. The results of this experiment and similar experiments to determine the resistant and susceptible cultivars to ethylene injury can be helpful in improving the postharvest life of cut orchid flowers.
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