Abstract

CRUZ-GUZMAN, Gumercindo H. De La et al. Dry and wet management effects on the post-harvest quality of three Rosa hybrida cultivars. Agrociencia [online]. 2018, vol.52, n.8, pp.1137-1148. ISSN 2521-9766.

Water shortage is one of the main agricultural issues and alternative techniques are necessary to reduce its consumption. During the cut flowers post-harvest management, the excessive use of clean tap water is common after harvest, during the selection-packing process and during transportation to avoid dehydration of the flower stems. The studies about the benefits from this repeated hydration practice are scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the management with water (wet) and without it (dry) after harvest (phase I), during cold storage (phase II) and the vase life of rose cultivars (Rosa hybrida) Blush, Freedom and Topaz cultivars which have commercial importance. We hypothesized that the effects of the dry management of the rose stems modify the life in vase regard their cultivar. During phase I, a batch of cut flowers was kept in dry conditions and another placed in containers with clean tap water. At phase II (the stems remained at 1±1 °C and 85 % RH for 7 d) each batch divided in two and kept in a dry and wet condition. Then, vase life was evaluated on the stems at room temperature (20±3 °C and 56 % RH). The evaluated variables were the fresh biomass of the floral stem, floral opening, opening of the stomata pores, colony forming units (CFU, bacteria) and the incidence of Botrytis sp. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 12 treatments consisting of three cultivars and four management combinations each; the experimental unit was a floral stem from which ten were included per treatment. The management differences during phase II had a greater effect than in phase I. The three cultivars had similar reactions to both types of management during phase I, but dry handling during phase II significantly increased vase life. The effect of wet or dry management in phase I and II, in the vase life of rose stems, is partially dependent on the cultivar.

Keywords : Botrytis spp.; floral opening; stomatal pore opening; colony forming units; rose stems; vase life.

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