Preharvest environmental conditions affect the vase life of winter-cut roses grown under different commercial greenhouses

Abstract

The vase life of cut flowers is not only determined by differences between cultivars, but also by growth conditions. For instance, the vase life of cut roses that are grown hydroponically during the winter period often ends at an early stage of maturation due to petal wilting or neck bending. In addition, the vase life of cut roses from different growers varies markedly despite identical postharvest conditions. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, the relationship between preharvest environmental factors, postharvest morphological and physiological factors, and the vase life of cut roses were determined. Cut roses (Rosa hybrid L. cv. Fuego) that were grown hydroponically during winter were harvested from three commercial greenhouses in Korea, and the interrelations between the above-mentioned factors and the vase life of the cut flowers were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The vase life of roses varied by 70% among growers in January when the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) differed the most. PCA revealed that preharvest environmental conditions strongly correlated with changes in morphological and physiological characteristics and the vase life of the cut roses. Roses grown under high relative humidity (RH) and low VPD during the winter had less functional stomata and, consequently, higher transpiration from leaves after harvest. This increased transpiration caused shorter vase life in the cut roses. In addition, supplementary lighting, high photosynthetic photon flux, and CO2 supplementation also increased transpiration and, consequently, shortened vase life, although these conditions improved the external quality of the cut roses. Thus, the external quality, i.e., the appearance of the cut flowers, did not directly correspond with the length of vase life of the flowers. This study improves our understanding of the relationship between preharvest conditions and morphological and physiological characteristics and vase life of winter-cut roses.