1-MCP, low O2 and high CO2 reduce disorders and extend vase life of "Rosalin" gerberas during storage

Abstract

The hormone ethylene performs an important function in the processes related to the senescence of cut flowers, and, in particular, anti-ethylene treatments are recommended to extend the vase life of orchids. Among the treatments currently used for such postharvest treatment, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is an efficient inhibitor of the autocatalytic production of ethylene. Although postharvest 1-MCP treatment is used to counter ethylene activity and delay senescence in fresh produce, its potential application in cut flowers has not been adequately tested. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of 1-MCP treatment with modified atmosphere packaging on the shelf life of cut Rosalin gerberas. To this end, gerberas harvested at commercial maturity were divided into two groups: 1-MCP treatment (625 ppb at 4 +/- 1 degrees C for 4 hours) and no treatment. Both groups of flowers were stored under normal and modified atmosphere conditions at 4 +/- 1 degrees C and 80 +/- 5% relative humidity. The flowers were covered with materials of different characteristics for the modified atmosphere. To determine the differences between the treatments, quality parameters were examined in the flowers at 7-day intervals during the storage. The 1-MCP treatment with both the normal and modified atmosphere significantly reduced the overall postharvest loss in quality. The best results for the quality characteristics determined were obtained from the 1-MCP and 30 mu m polyvinylchloride combined treatment. These results indicate that 1-MCP and a modified atmosphere treatment are good methods for extending the vase life, maintaining the visual quality, and reducing the loss of quality of gerberas.