Preservative solutions on quality and biochemical aspects of calla lily flowers

Abstract

The knowledge of physiological and biochemical aspects occurring at the postharvest phase of flowers is critical to guide efficient conservation techniques for maintaining quality and longevity. Factors that cause deterioration of cut flowers after harvest are dehydration, low carbohydrate contents, the presence of microorganisms in vase solution or stem and late stage of development at harvest. Thus, the objective was to determine the effect of harvest stages of calla lily stems and storage solutions on water relations and contents of starch and sugars. Flower stems were harvested in the following opening stages of the spathe: early-stage (cartridge) and 1/3 open and were arranged in six storage solutions containing 1, 2, 4 and 6% glucose and the controls with water and solution with 5% sucrose. Results indicate that at early-stage and 1/3 open harvesting stages, the addition of glucose at concentrations of 4% and 6% stimulated flower opening. Calla lily flower stems maintained in water and in solution with 1% glucose had lower percentages of fresh weight loss and better maintenance of water balance, with a small reduction in the contents of starch and soluble sugars. The addition of sugars in the storage solution was efficient in opening early-harvested stems. Harvest the floral stems in initial stages allow the maintenance of the commercial quality for longer period, without pollen production. The use of water relations allowed the determination of the better sugar concentration for the conservation of open-harvest of floral stems.

Changes in carbohydrates associated with senescence of cut gladiolus spikes under pulsing and wet cold storage durations

“…Reduction in starch content, as the storage duration progressed, has also been reported in studies on peony flowers (Walton et al, 2010). A small reduction of total starch and tepal soluble starch, as days after harvesting progressed, was also reported in calla lily flowers (Sales et al, 2018). The inclusion of sucrose in combination with kinetin and salicylic acid, delayed petal senescence in cut flowers of Matricaria parthenium L. andminimised reduction in starch contents (Mukherjee and Mukherjee, 2017).…”

“…The trend in the reduction in total soluble Sugars (TSS) compared to the control (Tables 3 and 4), signifies the probable decrease in the rate of breakdown of carbohydrates due to the effect of lowered temperatures, leading to reduced cellular metabolic reactions and respiration (Kazuo et al, 2016). According to Sales et al (2018) the addition of carbohydrates in storage solutions did not amount to increase in total soluble sugars in the cut spathes of calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) flowers. For the pulsed spikes, this could also be indicative of the improved quality of the cut spikes because of the effect of sucrose in the pulsing treatment that could have enhanced osmotic turgidity and translocation of nutrients in the cut flower thus maintaining the flower integrity.…”

EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT PRESERVATIVE SOLUTIONS AND PACKAGING MATERIAL FOR IMPROVING POST HARVEST QUALITY OF GLADIOLUS (Gladiolus grandiflorus) CUT SPIKES

“…In Acacia holoserica cut foliage, application of exogenous sucrose leads to accumulation of high sucrose concentration in the apoplast of leaf cells that cause the cells to plasmolyse thus damage cells and ultimately results in the death of foliage (Mohd Rafdi et al, 2018). Also in calla lily, Sales et al (2018) reported that high sucrose concentration causes phytotoxicity or initiate a physiological process that leads to early senescence. Cut flowers ability to absorb solution depends on three basic factors such as transpiration, respiration and type of compounds dissolved in a solution and it decreased with the aging which ultimately affects cell turgidity (Babarabie, 2018).…”

Water relations in cut calla lily flowers maintained under different postharvest solutions

“…Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) flower stems from flowering plants were collected early in the morning (7-8 a.m.) from a commercial producer. The opening stages of the spathe at harvest were categorized as the early stage (cartridge) and 1/3 opening stage of flowers (Figure 1) according to Sales et al (2018), who recommended that these stages would promote higher commercial durability. (Sales et al, 2018).…”

“…Calla lilies are usually harvested when they show extended spathes (Almeida et al, 2009); however, different harvest stages have been recently accepted for use in decoration. Harvesting at earlier stages (closed or partial opening) can provide inflorescences with better quality and longevity (Carneiro et al, 2014;Sales et al, 2015;Mattos et al, 2017, Sanches et al, 2017, Sales et al, 2018, Nascimento et al, 2019. However, limited information is available on the influence of chemicals in the storage solution on the longevity and water relations of early harvested floral stems.…”