Effect of Wrapping Materials and Storage Time on Shelf Life of Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.)

Abstract

Background: The use of wrapping material during storage of cut flowers creates a modified atmosphere which reduces flower metabolism during storage, thereby slowing carbohydrate consumption as respiratory substrate. The main problem related to dry storage is moisture loss or desiccation. Keeping in view the above aspects, the present study was conducted to enhance the shelf life of tuberose.Methods: The experiment was carried out at Post-Harvest Laboratory of Department of Horticulture, COA, CCS HAU, Hisar during the cropping season (March to September) of year 2019. It was laid out in CRD (factorial) with three replications and twenty-four treatment combinations, comprising of six wrapping materials (newspaper, butter paper, chart sheet, low density polyethylene of 100µ, high density polyethylene of 200µ and control as without wrapping) and four storage time (1, 4, 7 and 10 days), were tested. After harvesting, cut spikes were wrapped in wrapping materials and kept in cold-store at low temperature (less than 5°C), thereafter cut spikes were placed in vase solution (4% sucrose plus 300 ppm 8-HQC) for recording observations on floral parameters. Result: Among different wrapping materials, the butter paper wrapped cut spikes observed better in most of the parameters followed by LDPE (100µ) wrapped cut spikes. Among the storage time, storage of cut spikes for 1 day observed better in most of the parameters except time taken up to opening of first pair of florets and total post-harvest life. Overall, butter paper wrapped cut spikes stored for 1 day performed better in term of floret diameter (46.73 mm), floret length (56.10 mm), floret longevity (2.89 days), appearance (3.70/5.0 scale), florets opened at a time (32.30%), total opened florets (54.32%), marketable vase life (6.53 days), total vase life (11.17 days), weight loss (17.08%) and solution consumed (135.33 ml) by the spikes. However, the cut spikes wrapped in butter paper stored for 10 days were found better with early opening of first pair of florets (0.95 days) and maximum post-harvest life (20.10 days).