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- Author or Editor: Fisun G. Çelikel x
- HortScience x
The respiration of flowers of stock [Matthiola incana (L.) R. Br.] had a Q10 of 6.9 between 0 and 10 °C. Simulated transport for 5 days resulted in marked reduction in the vase life of flowers transported at 10 °C and above. Flower opening, water uptake, and vase life of the flowers increased somewhat in a vase solution containing 50 ppm NaOCl, and considerably in a commercial preservative containing glucose and a bactericide. Exposure to exogenous ethylene resulted in rapid desiccation and abscission of the petals, effects that were prevented by pretreatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Even in the absence of exogenous ethylene, the life of the flowers was significantly increased by inhibiting ethylene action using pretreatment with silver thiosulfate (STS) or 1-MCP. STS was more effective than 1-MCP in maintaining flower quality.
The respiration of cut flowers of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii H. Bolus ex Hook.f. `Vesuvio') and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) increased exponentially with increasing storage temperature. Poststorage vase life and negatively gravitropic bending of the neck of the flowers were both strongly affected by simulated transport at higher temperatures. Vase life and stem bending after dry storage showed highly significant linear relationships (negative and positive, respectively) with the rate of respiration during storage. The data indicate the importance of maintaining temperatures close to the freezing point during commercial handling and transport of these important commercial cut-flower crops for maximum vase life.
The first commercial use of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) was with cut flowers and potted plants, and treatment with this compound is still the preferred strategy for protection of most ethylene-sensitive crops. Research is continuing into optimum treatment conditions and strategies for efficient application in commerce. In studies using carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L. ‘White Sim’) petals to determine the optimal conditions for commercial treatment, we noted some aspects of the inhibition response that were not consistent with the current competitive inhibition model of 1-MCP action. Our data are better explained by an alternative model in which 1-MCP binds to a site that is exposed during the allosteric changes that accompany the enzymatic activities of the binding site in the absence of ethylene.