Wr. Su et al., Improvement of postharvest vase life and flower bud opening in Polianthes tuberosa using gibberellic acid and sucrose, AUST J EX A, 41(8), 2001, pp. 1227-1230
Pulsing with gibberellic acid followed by continuous sucrose treatment enha
nced flower longevity and flower bud opening in cut Polianthes tuberosa L.
cv. Double. Pulsing with gibberellic acid at 10 or 20 mg/L plus 8-hydroxyqu
inoline sulfate (200 mg/L) for 24 h followed by continuous sucrose treatmen
ts (4 or 8%) plus 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate extended the vase life and sig
nificantly promoted flower bud opening as compared with the 8- hydroxyquino
line sulfate controls. A pulse with a higher concentration of gibberellic a
cid (50 mg/L) followed by sucrose solutions did not increase vase life or e
nhance flower bud opening greater than those pulsed with gibberellic acid a
t 10 or 20 mg/L followed by 8- hydroxyquinoline sulfate. A gibberellic acid
(10, 20 or 50 mg/L) pulse followed by 8- hydroxyquinoline sulfate holding
solution had little effect on longevity and flower bud opening in compariso
n to 8- hydroxyquinoline sulfate controls. Similarly, continuous sucrose tr
eatment at 4 or 8% without a gibberellic acid-pulsed treatment also showed
little effect on vase life and flower bud opening. Cut P. tuberosa treated
with a gibberellic acid pulse followed by 8- hydroxyquinoline sulfate produ
ced more ethylene than those treated with 8- hydroxyquinoline sulfate alone
. Ethylene production from flowers pulsed with gibberellic acid followed by
sucrose was low when compared with controls or those pulsed with gibberell
ic acid alone. Cut stems continuously placed in solutions containing sucros
e produced less ethylene than those without sucrose. It is suggested that a
gibberellic acid pulse at 10 mg/L followed by continuous sucrose treatment
at 4% be recommended to growers for extending the vase life and enhancing
flower bud opening in cut P. tuberosa.