347 1-MCP and CO2 Reduction of Ethylene Response on Snapdragon

Abstract

Recent advances in technology have made the snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus L., a promising florist crop in North America and potentially on the Ontario market. CO2 is a known inhibitor of ethylene action, but its effects tend to be difficult to interpret based on the variable responses of plants to this gas. Recently, a gaseous ethylene analog has been shown to inhibit certain ethylene responses of cut flowers, such as wilting in carnations and flower abscission of cut phlox. This cyclic olefin, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), is thought to bind irreversibly to the ethylene receptor sites, thereby preventing or delaying ethylene responses. In the experiments undertaken, the potential of CO2 and 1-MCP were investigated for their ability to enhance vase life and to reduce shattering and wilting of snapdragons. Flowers were sealed in ≈0.2-m3 chambers encased in 6-mil polyethylene and exposed to elevated CO2 (5% or 10%) or 1-MCP (20-200 nL/L) for 6 to 24 h at 20 °C. The flowers were then exposed to continuous ethylene of 0-20 μL/L. Following exposure to 5 or 20 μL/L ethylene, 1-MCP reduced shattering ≈2- to 3-fold compared to CO2 treatment. 1-MCP did not prevent the wilting response but delayed it by ≈2 days. CO2-treated flowers exhibited a more rapid decline in net percent open florets from days 3 to 5 post-treatment. Despite the ability of 1-MCP to reduce shattering, in the absence of exposure to continuous ethylene, it has limited effectiveness on wilting compared to CO2.