Bulb Organ Changes and Influence of Temperature on Gaseous Levels in a Modified Atmosphere Package of Precooled Tulip Bulbs

Abstract

Abstract Modified atmosphere (MA) packages of tulip bulbs (Tulipa gesneriana L. ‘Kees Nelis’) composed of 5 bulbs sealed in low-density polyethylene film (LDF-301, Dow Chemical) were exposed to 20°C for one week followed by 3 weeks of temperature regimes between 15° and 25°. The temperature changes resulted in little change in package CO2 and O2 equilibrium levels. Bulbs held in air flowered poorly after 3 or 4 weeks at most of the temperature regimes. Packaged bulbs held below 25°C yielded 80–100% normal flowers after 3 or 4 weeks storage. The dry weight (DW) of daughter bulbs within bulbs in air increased 7-fold during 4 weeks storage. These bulbs also lost 25% of total bulb DW, 35% of scale DW, and 20% of floral shoot DW. There was little daughter bulb enlargement and few significant changes in DW of other bulb organs in film-packaged bulbs during storage.