The role of sugars in the prolongation of the vase life of cut flowers was reviewed. Beneficial effect of sugars on the supply of substrates for respiration and, therefore, on longer life of cut flowers is generally recognized. This widely accepted role of sugars as providers of additional substrates for respiration has perhaps largely over-shadowed other important roles. In this review, attempts were made to study the role of sugars in the prolongation of the vase life of cut flowers in general, and in the delay in ethylene biosynthesis or decrease in sensitivity to ethylene in particular.Discipline: Postharvest technology Additional key words: vase life, sensitivity to ethylene, substrates for respiration, water balance JARQ 37 (4), 219 -224 (2003)
The effects of ethanol on carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) cut flowers were studied by treating five cultivars ('Yellow Candy', 'Sandrosa', 'Francisco', 'White Candy', and 'Iury') with up to 8% ethanol solution and measuring vase life, solution uptake, delay in bud opening of flowers, and ethylene production. Treatment with 4 or 6% ethanol increased the vase life of 'Yellow Candy', 'White Candy', and 'Iury', but not of 'Sandrosa' or 'Francisco'. Cultivars showed variable response to ethanol treatment with regards to uptake of solution, vase life increment, and delay in bud opening. The highest increment in vase life after flower opening with 4% ethanol was for 'Yellow Candy', where the vase life doubled. Total ethylene production in untreated † Corresponding author.
H98044 Received 22 September 1998; accepted 9 December 1998flowers varied according to cultivars; treatment with 4% ethanol inhibited ethylene production as well as sensitivity to ethylene. 'Yellow Candy' was the most sensitive to ethylene and most responsive to ethanol; 'Sandrosa' was the least sensitive to ethylene and least responsive to ethanol treatment. The effectiveness of ethanol in extending vase life correlated closely with the longevity, ethylene production, and ethylene sensitivity of each cultivar.
Postharvest studies were carried out in three varieties of (Gerbera jamesonii Hook.) cvs. Primrose, Malibu and Sunway to find out the effect of growing seasons (autumn, winter and spring) on the vase life of cut flowers during September 2009 to March 2010. Laboratory experiments were carried out in controlled room having 18±2 o C temperature, 68±2% relative humidity and 100 lux light. The study revealed that the longest vase life was noticed in Sunway, followed by Primrose and Malibu. Regarding the season of production, longest vase life (18.37 days) was found in the flowers harvested in winter, followed by spring (14.8 days) and autumn (9.57 days). The interaction effect of season and variety showed that longest vase life (23.2 days) was found in Sunway harvested in winter whereas the shorter vase lives (5.7 and 7.8 days) were in Malibu and Primrose respectively harvested in autumn. Stalk length (57.88 cm) and floral diameter (10.78 cm) were highest in autumn while diameter of the stalk (0.64 cm) was the highest in spring. Sunway had the highest floral and stalk diameters, while the stalk length was longer in Malibu and Primrose. Total water uptake during the vase life was highest in flowers grown in winter (34.9 ml), followed by spring (34.7 ml) and autumn (26.14 ml).
A study was carried out to standardize nitrogen application at different stages of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) (cv. Double) for improving growth, flowering and vase life in a farmer’s field at Gunjanagar VDC, Chitwan, Nepal, during May to September, 2012. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with 10 treatments of nitrogen in split doses and replicating thrice. The cut flower and vase life characteristics of tuberose were studied and the economics of production was also analysed. Significant difference was found between treatments of split doses of nitrogen in flowering and post-harvest characteristics of this flower. Three equal split doses of nitrogen, 33% N basal + 33% N at 30 days after planting + 33% N at 50 days after planting resulted in the earliest spike initiation (60 days) and the first flower opening (95.17 days). The same treatments recorded longest vase life (16.47 days). The longest (91.69 cm), heaviest (87.97g) and thickest (0.89 cm) spikes with longest rachis (38.77 cm) were produced by three equal split doses of nitrogen, 33% N basal + 33% N at 50 days after planting + 33% N at 70 days after planting. The same treatments produced maximum net income (NRs. 214,250/-) and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio (1.29) per hectare. Thus, three equal split doses of nitrogen, 33% N basal + 33% N at 50 days after planting + 33% N at 70 days after planting are appropriate for commercial cultivation of tuberose in Nepal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v15i1.12006 Nepal Journal of Science and TechnologyVol. 15, No.1 (2014) 23-30
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