ISHS Acta Horticulturae 543: VII International Symposium on Postharvest Physiology of Ornamental Plants
CULTURAL FACTORS AFFECTING POST-HARVEST QUALITY OF POTTED PLANTS |
| Author: | L. Hendriks |
| Abstract:
Identification of the source of origin in product marketing and quality testing in nurseries, indicate that cultural conditions have an equally strong influence on the post-harvest quality of potted plants as have their genetic characteristics. Although influencing factors have been largely identified, uncertainties still exist regarding their quantification and the physiological mechanisms involved. The reason for this may be found in the multitude of mechanisms and the strong interactions between growth factors. Another problem encountered in interpreting cultural factors is that the optimum of inner quality characteristics usually deviate from those of the outer quality. This paper provides an overview of the effects of different cultural conditions and cropping measurements on outer and inner quality characteristics and discusses potential interactions and mechanisms involved. In this context, questions regarding the definition of post-harvest quality and its experimental assessment are discussed as well as the characterization of very complex cultural factors. In the section entitled cultural factors, the influence of light, temperature and air humidity, but predominantly the effects of plant density and fertilization will be described. | |
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