Continuous Automatic Measurement of Water Uptake and Water Loss of Cut Flower Stems

Abstract

<jats:p>In studying the postharvest water relations of cut flowers, researchers aim to determine rates of water uptake and water loss along with changes in fresh weight. An automatic apparatus was devised for continuous monitoring of these indices. The novel apparatus consists of two balances automatically recording mass at a relatively high data acquisition rate (min<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>), a personal computer, two containers, and plastic tubing. The apparatus is accurate, labor-saving, and real-time. It enabled dynamic synchronous recording of water uptake as well as fresh weight of the cut flower stem, from which precise water uptake loss rates during vase life can be accurately determined. Rates of water uptake and water loss of individual cut rose (<jats:italic>Rosa hybrida</jats:italic> cv. Movie Star) stems were measured using the apparatus under alternating 12-h light and dark periods. Both water uptake and water loss rates fluctuated with the light to dark shift over 120 h of observation. Stem fresh weight increased rapidly over the first 40 h of vase period and decreased gradually thereafter. Cut lily (<jats:italic>Lilium hybrida</jats:italic> cv. Yellow Overlord) stems showed similar trends in water uptake and water loss rate to cut rose stems. The accuracy and sensitivity of the new apparatus was validated by comparison with manual weighing using a balance at 2-h intervals under alternating 12-h light and dark periods over 108 h. The apparatus described here constitutes a suitable method for direct measurement of water uptake and fresh weight, including capturing relatively rapid water balance responses to changes in the postharvest environment.</jats:p>

Floral Humidity in Flowering Plants: A Preliminary Survey

“…This can potentially have some impact on their hormonal physiology or cause interference with water uptake (van Doorn, 1997). However, problems with water uptake take time to develop and experiments with cut flowers show they function normally in terms of transpiration, showing normal daily cycles (Lü et al, 2011;Fanourakis et al, 2012;Huang et al, 2018). Within the timescales of our sampling (less than a day), flowers were likely to be functioning normally in terms of transpiration and water uptake for at least the earlier transects.…”

“…All the flowers we used were freshly cut from the plant while von Arx et al (2012) allowed them to remain attached, though isolated them using a sealed 46 cm 3 box. It is possible that the cutting applied here disrupted the transpirational or evaporative processes of O. caespitosa (van Doorn, 1997), resulting in lower humidity production (although many cut flowers function normally following cutting within the timescales of our sampling: Fanourakis et al, 2012;Huang et al, 2018;Lü et al, 2011). It could be that the robot arm used here allows for more careful control for air disturbance than the continually moving mechanically operated screws used to control probe movement in the previous study.…”

Cobalto en poscosecha de varas florales de gladiola (Gladiolus grandiflorus Hort.)

“…El término de la vida en el florero para las flores cortadas es caracterizado por un marchitamiento asociado con un desequilibrio entre el desarrollo de la absorción de agua a través de los conductos del xilema en los tallos y el agua pérdida a través de los estomas y otras estructuras en hojas y otros órganos (Lü et al, 2011). El Co es un elemento que ha mostrado efectos positivos en el consumo de agua de tallos florales.…”

“…The term of the vase life for cut flowers is characterized by wilting associated with an imbalance between the development of water uptake through the xylem conduits in stems and water loss through the stomates and other structures in leaves and other organs (Lü et al, 2011). Co is an element that has shown positive effects on water consumption of floral stems.…”

Conductividad Hidráulica en Tallos Florales De Rosa Cv. Polo Con Diferente Longitud

“…En lo concerniente al consumo de agua, éste inició su decaimiento desde el primer día, en contraste con lo obtenido por Lü et al (2011), quienes muestran con un sistema de medición continua de incorporación y pérdida de agua que el periodo de máxima toma de agua sucede durante las primeras 40 h a partir de lo cual decrece gradualmente, circunstancia que se atribuyó al estado inicial de hidratación considerado como cercano a su valor máximo por el breve lapso de horas transcurridas entre el corte en el invernadero (7 de la mañana) y su instalación en el laboratorio. A su vez, al comparar los datos de flujo en fracciones de tallo, con los de consumo de agua en la unidad floral, se observó que éste fue menor en los tallos cortos entre el tercero y octavo día, que en los medianos y largos (Figura 3).…”