LONG-TERM LILY SCALE BULBLET STORAGE - EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND STORAGE IN POLYETHYLENE BAGS

Collections of lily genotypes are usually maintained by yearly plantin g, harvesting and storage of the bulbs. To facilitate this maintenance , a storage method has been developed for a collection of lily genotyp es, including Asiatic hybrids, Oriental hybrids, Lilium longiflorum an d L. henryi. Scale bulblets were stored either dry, sealed air-tight i n polyethylene bags, or in moist vermiculite in open polyethylene bags for a period of 2 yr. The decrease in mass, sprouting proportion and ion leakage or sprouting proportion alone were determined for treatmen ts carried out at -2 degrees C, 0 degrees C and 17 degrees C. Sealing scale bulblets in polyethylene bags at -2 degrees C resulted in the sm allest decrease in mass, the least ion leakage and the highest sprouti ng proportion after 2 yr of storage.