Using “Ethylene” to Help “Increase” Cut Flower Longevity and Sales

George Staby
Perishables Research Organization (PRO)
Florence, AZ and Elk Grove, CA
GeorgeStaby@ChainOfLifeNetwork.org

Introduction

PRO Institutes are intensive 2.5-day workshops that address various floral postharvest
care, handling, and marketing topics. Thirty-eight individuals representing 24 companies
and 2 universities recently attended the 15th PRO Institute held on the University of
California, Davis campus*. The information presented here is a direct result of this
workshop.

Fact one: Numerous past and present consumer studies have shown that inadequate cut
flower longevity is a key negative factor affecting consumer flower purchases in the US.

Fact two: Ethylene is a gas that can promote premature flower death, petal fall, leaf fall,
and/or abnormal flower opening among other negative traits. An estimated 41% of cut
flowers grown for US and Canadian markets can be damaged by ethylene.

Fact three: As bad as ethylene-induced damages are, they are nearly 100% preventable
either by growing flowers that are insensitive to ethylene or by properly treating ethylene
sensitive flowers with anti-ethylene products containing 1-methylcyclopropene (MCP)
such as EthylBloc and Ethylene Buster or silver thiosulfate (STS) such as AVB,
EthylGuard, or Florissima 125.

Fact four: There is no comprehensive database listing cut flower cultivars based on
ethylene sensitivity.

Fact five: A simple and inexpensive test can be used to determine if flowers are ethylene
sensitive and/or if they have been properly treated with STS or MCP. This test uses a
product called Florel, which is a liquid that releases ethylene gas when applied to flowers
and leaves. Named the “Florel Test”, it is now described.

Florel Test

 Florel can be purchased from many sources including www.amazon.com and

http://www.montereylawngarden.com/. One pint (500 ml) costs about $18-22
plus shipping and will last for about 50 tests.

 Make a 1% solution of Florel in a spray bottle by adding 10 milliliters (1/3 fluid

ounce) of Florel to one liter (quart) of water - or proportional amounts if more or
less spray volume is needed.
  Recut the stems of 5-10 flowers of the same cultivar you want to test, place into a
vase of flower food solution, and spray the flowers and leaves to runoff with the
1% Florel solution. Some of the liquid will enter the flowers and/or leaves and be
converted to ethylene gas. Label this vase “plus ethylene”.

 Place an equal number of recut flowers of the same cultivar from the same bunch
or bunches in a second vase of flower food solution but do not spray them. Label
this vase “no ethylene”.

 Place the vases about two feet apart in a room at 65-75 F (no direct sunlight) and
observe them over 3-5 days.

 If flowers in both vases look the same during the 3-5 days, the flowers were
treated properly with either STS or MCP or they are not sensitive to ethylene.

 If the sprayed flowers show damage and start to die faster than the non-sprayed
ones, then the flowers are ethylene sensitive and were not properly treated with
MCP or STS.

 If flowers in both vases die prematurely, they are bad flowers for unknown
reasons and therefore the test is invalid and needs to be repeated.

The following are some additional comments relative to the Florel Test.

 Some cultivars of the same flower can be ethylene sensitive while other cultivars
are not. Using data generated at the University of Florida as an example, rose
cultivars that are ethylene sensitive include ‘Freedom’, ‘Osiana’ and ‘Vendela’,
while ethylene insensitive cultivars include ‘Forever Young’, ‘Cool Water’ and
‘Gold Strike’.

 Testing ethylene sensitivities of bouquets can present challenges because there

may not be sufficient flowers of the same cultivar in a bouquet to properly run the
Florel Test. While this does not present a problem for the bouquet makers
because they can test the flowers before the bouquets are made, it does present a
problem for bouquet receivers. Thus, receivers of bouquets should compare 3-4
bouquets sprayed with 1% Florel against 3-4 bouquets not sprayed.

 The same test can be run by adding Florel to the vase solution at the same 1% rate
rather than spraying the flowers.

Who should routinely use the Florel Test?

Breeders should use ethylene sensitivity in their selection process, just like selecting for
other factors such as production time, flower color, and stem length.
Growers can easily determine which flowers they grow are ethylene sensitive and
thereby treat the sensitive ones with STS or MCP or stop growing them. Growers can
also use the Florel Test to determine if they should grow a new cultivar, namely, if the
new cultivar is ethylene sensitive then one should consider not growing it.

Large wholesalers and retailers hold the key as to whether or not the floral industry
will eventually grow and sell mainly ethylene insensitive flowers by using the Florel Test
as an objective quality control tool to accept or reject incoming bunches and bouquets.

The Challenge and Opportunity

Is your company willing to take up the “challenge” to routinely use the Florel Test to help
determine which flowers to introduce, grow, and/or sell? By doing so, you have an
“opportunity” to help to reduce shrinkage, increase profits, and improve flower vase life
for consumers.

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* The following companies and universities were represented at the PRO Institute:
Bloomtime Flowers, C. H. Robinson, Chrysal Americas, Ethylene Control, Felix
Instruments, Field of Flowers, FloraFresh, Floralife, Flores Funza, Green Valley Floral,
ICA TriNova LLC, Johnson Pacific Design, Joseph & Sons, Kendal Floral, Kitayama
Brothers, KJL Associates, Mellano & Company, Raley’s Supermarkets, Riverdale Farms,
Save Mart Supermarkets, Sensitech, Sunshine Bouquet, Syndicate Sales, The Sun Valley
Group, and the Universities of California and Florida.