ISHS Acta Horticulturae 261: IV International Symposium on Postharvest Physiology of Ornamental Plants
EFFECT OF ETHYLENE TREATMENT ON CHANGES IN WEIGHT AND CARBOHYDRATE CONTENTS OF COROLLAS FROM CUT 'SONIA' ROSES |
| Authors: | A. J. Lukaszewska, N. Gorin |
| Abstract:
Ethylene treatment (volume fraction in air 10–12 μ1/1 for 24 h at 20 °C in darkness) of cut roses harvested when the petals and sepals were tightly folded affected neither their subsequent opening nor their vase life, as the petals fell 14 days after harvest. Visually flowers ethylene-treated could be distinguished by a weak bluish discoloration of the outer petals of corollas which appeared on Day 9 after harvest. Ethylene treatment altered pattern of fresh weight but not dry weight of the corollas. However the fresh weight never decreased below the initial value, in either group denoting a satisfactory water status in the corollas. Starch was faster hydrolysed in ethylene-treated roses. However the time course of contents of reducing sugars in corollas was not influenced by ethylene. In both groups, reducing sugars increased as starch content decreased in the corollas. We deduce that cut 'Sonia' roses harvested at an early stage are insensitive to ethylene. Therefore they will not be dramatically affected by this gas-hormone during distribution and marketing. | |
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