Jr. Eason et al., PHYSIOLOGICAL-CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH SANDERSONIA-AURANTIACA FLOWER SENESCENCE IN RESPONSE TO SUGAR, Postharvest biology and technology, 12(1), 1997, pp. 43-50
Sandersonia aurantiaca is a liliaceous cut flower in which senescence
is not regulated by ethylene. We stood flower stems in solutions of de
ionized water (control) or sucrose (2%) and monitored the pattern of s
enescence of individual flowers attached to the stems and quantified t
he amount of carbohydrate and protein present in the flowers. Treatmen
t with sucrose extended the postharvest life of flower stems by delayi
ng the senescence of individual flowers attached to the flowering stem
. Flowers on sucrose-treated stems were larger, firmer and brighter or
ange than the control flowers. Flowers that were treated with sucrose
also contained greater quantities of carotenoids, soluble and storage
carbohydrates and soluble protein than the control flowers. The first
visible signs of senescence occurred prior to any net loss of soluble
carbohydrate or protein. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.