|
Today is :
Archives (2001)
|
Prolonging the vase life of cut flowers with ethylene
adsorbent and Florafresh
by Mary Charlotte O. Fresco
|
October-December
2001
|
Flowers are exquisitely beautiful especially
when they haven't been cut from their mother plants. But as
soon as these flowers are cut and brought indoors, wilting
reduces their beauty and quality. When a flower starts to
wilt, its vase life is shortened; consequently, its market
value falls. With these impinging factors coupled with improper
post harvest handling and practices, one can hardly see a
"blooming" cut flower industry.
 To
address this problem in cutflower production, scientists and
experts from Postharvest Horticulture Training and Research
Center (PHTRC) at UP Los Banos, Laguna, developed and introduced
ethylene adsorbent and Florafresh to give cut flowers their
maximum potential vase life.
Florafresh
Florafresh is a liquid mixture of biocide, sugar, buffer,
and water applied to maintain the freshness of some cutflowers
while prolonging their vase life. It is best applied to mums,
gladioli, roses, carnations, and orchids.
One can easily apply Florafresh by following
these simple steps:
- Mix one part of Florafresh to 10 parts of water.
- Use a clean sharp knife or shear in cutting the stems.
This is necessary to prevent crushing the stem and to facilitate
water/solution absorption in the cells. Remove leaves that
are submerged in the solutions. Dead leaves trigger the growth
of fungi and bacteria.
- Soak the cut flowers in about 1-inch deep solution. Florafresh
is guaranteed as more effective compared to using plain water
or other holding solutions because it lengthens the vase life
of flowers two-folds or more. One can expect normal opening
of flowers and better color retention of petals even if the
flowers are harvested immaturely.
Aside from being easy to use, Florafresh is affordable. Growers
need only to spend P2.50 to treat a dozen of cutflowers.
Ethylene adsorbent
Ethylene is a gas emitted by any harvested commodity. It causes
ripening and deterioration in fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals.
In cut flowers, when ethylene gas concentration is high, the
petals start to fade and fall.
Ethylene adsorbent (EA) in sachet form is made
up of indigenous waste materials that directly absorb ethylene
gas from a storage space, transport container, or pack of
various horticultural produce. One can experience its optimum
results when used with modified atmosphere packaging and storage
(MAP).
EA is effective in delaying the deterioration
of important cutflowers such as chrysanthemum, gladioli, and
white dendrobium. EA is so easy to use and is applicable both
in treating small or large bulks of postharvest produce. When
used with MAP, one should use the specified numbers of EA
depending on MAP requirement. When dealing with large bulk
loads, EA sachets should be evenly distributed within the
shipment.
To maintain the effectiveness of EA sachets,
it is important to store and pack unused sachets in a cool
place, preferably inside a refrigerator. Stored absorbents
that have turned brown or lost their violet hue are no longer
effective to use.
EA was designed to cater to a wide range of
users, which include farmers, housewives, retailers, shippers,
exporters, and tissue culture practitioners.
It is safe to use, environment-friendly, affordable,
and cheap costing only P2 per sachet. 
(For more information, please contact Postharvest
Training Research Center (PHTRC), UP Los Banos, College, Laguna
at Tel. No. (049) -536-3259, 536-2444.) More Articles:
Vol. 3 No. 4 October-December 2001
»»
Outstanding technologies identified in nat'l R&D week
»» Thailand,
Philippines convene for agri cooperation
»»
Prospects for the ornamental industry in the new millennium
»» UPLB
scientists develop new hybrids of Philippine ornamentals
»» New management
techniques for exportable foliage plants
»» In
focus: a date with the "king of cut flowers"
»» Brighten
your homes with aglaonema
»» King
in red and green
»» Cashing
in with the 'lucky bamboo'
»» Turfgrasses:
the preferred ground cover
»» Catching
the invisible enemy with ELISA
»» Grow
dracaena godseffiana the easy way
»» Bromeliads:
the exotic plant
»» Wag that
fish-tail fern
»» Mass
propagating the 'doņas' through kulob system
»» Beauveria
mold bioinsecticide: safer control against orchid pests
»» Orchids
and mycorrhiza: a lesson from the wild
»» Controlling
white rust in chrysanthemums
»» Ways to
enhance palm seed germination
»» Prolonging
the vase life of cut flowers with ethylene adsorbent and Florafresh
»»
Mass producing the fragrant kamuning
»» The
national RDE program for ornamental crops
»» GMA
presents 2001 Gawad Saka awards
[More
2001 Articles]
|
