Postharvest Biology and Technology of Cut Flowers and Potted Plants

Abstract

The relatively brief postharvest life of most cut flowers and potted flowering plants can be extended by a range of technologies. Studies have shown that vase life is negatively correlated with respiration after harvest, so prompt cooling to the lowest safe storage temperature is a key to long-distance transport of these perishable crops. Forced air cooling is the method of choice for cut flowers, and vacuum cooling has been shown to be very effective for cooling potted plants. In contrast to some other horticultural crops, controlled and modified atmospheres seem to have little effect on petal respiration, and these techniques have not proved commercially useful in the marketing of many cut flowers. Low temperatures are also important in managing the effect of other factors contributing to early senescence, including water loss, the effects of ethylene, leaf yellowing, and the growth of diseases, particularly caused by Botrytis cinerea. Ornamentals originating in the tropics and subtropics cannot be cooled below 10 � C because they rapidly show the symptoms of chilling injury. Chemical strategies to improve the life of ornamentals include the application of abscisic acid to reduce water loss, particularly in potted and bedding plants, pretreatment with the volatile ethylene inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) to prevent the