Improved Quality and Vase Life of Cut Flowers of the Standard Chrysanthemum Cultivar ‘Baekma’ Using Wet Shipping Solutions with NaOCl and ClO2

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dry and wet conditions during harvest and shipping on the quality and vase life of cut flowers using the standard chrysanthemum cultivar ‘Baekma’. Wet harvest and wet shipping (Wet-Wet) treatments maintained a high fresh weight of cut flowers and extended their vase life by 2 days compared to dry harvest and shipping (Dry-Dry) treatments. However, no significant difference was observed in the quality or vase life of cut flowers between dry harvest and wet shipping (Dry-Wet) and Wet-Wet treatments. The Dry-Dry treatment also resulted in lower chlorophyll fluorescence ratios (Fv/Fm) than the Wet-Wet treatment, and it means Dry-Dry treatment had more stress than Wet-Wet treatment. We also tested the effects of treatment with a wet shipping solution containing sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2). When cut flowers were placed in a holding solution with NaOCl after transport, both fresh weights and flower diameters were highest when treated with 50-200 mg‧L-1 NaOCl. Treatment with a 50 mg‧L-1 NaOCl wet shipping solution also extended the vase life of cut flowers by 2 days compared to other shipping solutions. When cut flowers were transported with a 0.5-2 mg‧L-1 ClO2 wet shipping solution, they maintained high quality with an extended vase life of 2.1 days. Treatment with either NaOCl or ClO2 shipping solution significantly inhibited bacterial growth after transport for 4 days. These results suggest that standard chrysanthemum ‘Baekma’ should be distributed in a wet shipping solution of 50 mg‧L-1 NaOCl or 0.5-1 mg‧L-1 ClO2 to maintain quality and vase life of cut flowers exported to Japan.