Post harvest Handling of Cut Linaria, Trachelium, and Zinnia

Abstract

<jats:p>Optimum postharvest handling procedures were determined for <jats:italic>Linaria maroccana</jats:italic> `Lace Violet', <jats:italic>Trachelium</jats:italic>`Jemmy Royal Purple', and <jats:italic>Zinnia elegans</jats:italic> `Benary's Giant Scarlet' and `Sungold.' A 24-hour 10% or 20% sucrose pulse increased the vase life of <jats:italic>Linaria</jats:italic> by 2–4 days, resulting in a vase life of 9 days as compared to 5 days for control flowers held in deionized (DI) water. Use of floral foam and cold storage at 1 °C for 1 week decreased vase life. Treatment with either 0.1 or 1.0 ppm ethylene had no effect. The use of a commercial holding solution (Floralife Professional or Chrysal Professional 2 Processing Solution) or 2% or 3% sucrose increased vase life 4–10 days. For cut <jats:italic>Trachelium</jats:italic>, ethylene caused florets to close entirely or stop opening; 1-MCP and STS prevented these ethylene effects. Stems tolerated 4 days of 1 °C storage, but 1 week or more of storage reduced the 14-day vase life of unstored flowers to 9 days. Stems in 2% or 4% sucrose had a longer vase life compared to DI water. While the use of floral foam was not detrimental when used with sucrose solutions, it reduced vase life when sucrose was not used. <jats:italic>Zinnia</jats:italic> stems could not be cold stored for 1 week at 1 °C due to loss of turgidity and cold damage. Stems stored dry at 5 °C regained turgidity and averaged a vase life of 14 days; however, petals remained slightly twisted and curled after being in the vase for several days. Treatment with ethylene had no effect. Floral foam reduced vase life to 9–10 days.</jats:p>

Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Responses of Zinnia to Drought Stress

“…Among the ornamental summer flowering plants, zinnia (Zinnia elegans L.) is rightly appreciated for its spectacular display of colourful flowers [28]. It belongs to the Compositae family (Asteraceae) and it is native to Central America and Mexico.…”