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Post Harvest Handling of Ornamental Crops

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Modern Concepts in Horticulture
(Volume - 2)

Editors
Dr. Nisha Jangre
Dr. Motapalukula Jyothi
Harish A.
P.K. Sreelakshmi
Sushma Sharma

Integrated Publications TM
New Delhi
Published By: Integrated Publications TM

Integrated Publications
H. No. - 3 Pocket - H34, Sector - 3,
Rohini, Delhi-110085, India
Email - info@integratedpublications.in

Editors: Dr. Nisha Jangre, Dr. Motapalukula Jyothi, Harish A., P.K.
Sreelakshmi and Sushma Sharma

The author/publisher has attempted to trace and acknowledge the materials

reproduced in this publication and apologize if permission and
acknowledgements to publish in this form have not been given. If any material
has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so that we may rectify
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© Integrated Publications
Edition: 1st
Publication Year: 2023
Pages: 299
ISBN:
Book DOI: https://doi.org/
Price: ` 1075/-
 Contents

S. No. Chapters Page No.

1. Nutraceuticals and Supplements from Fruits and

Vegetables 01-17
(Dhyana T. and Rejith S.)

2. Breeding for Nutrition Development in Fruit Crops 19-29

(Lalrinmawii and Sukjai Dhar)

3. Medicinal Values of Different Exotic Vegetable Crops 31-48

(Suchibrata Chamuah)

4. Harvest and Postharvest Handling of Medicinal and

Aromatic Plants 49-68
(Reshma P and Reddappa J B)

5. Management of Pre and Post-Harvest Loss in Summer

Vegetable Crops 69-89
(Jyothi Motapalukula, Mallesh Sanganamoni, Vaishnavi N and
Sindhuja K)

6. Use of Bio-Stimulants in Fruit Crops 91-113

(Suma H Budnimath, Gouthami Y, Hamsa R. and Vinayak Deshi)

7. Value Addition in Flower Crops 115-125

(Divya, Raveena and Pawan Kumar)

8. Zero Budget Natural Farming in Fruit Crops 127-141

(Shivani, Dr. Sachin Pavhane and Pradip Babanrao Kakade)

9. Biopesticides and Biofungicides in Fruit Crops 143-157

(Jyoti Sengar, Garima Yadav, Homeshvari and Anjali Mishra)

10. Application of Bio-inoculates to Improve Yield and

Quality of Horticultural Crops 159-174
(Ashwini S., Shruti Mallikarjun Kolur and Santosh M Kolur)

11. Biodynamic Farming in Vegetables 175-193

(Anjali Kumari Jha and Maya Priya)

12. Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in Fruit

Production and Development 195-216
(Rejith S.)

13. Methods to Develop Synthetic Seeds in Vegetables 217-232

(Shivaji Kallappa Duradundi and Chithra K)
14. Techniques to Manage Pre & Post-Harvest Loss in
Horticulture Crops 233-247
(Sakshi Sharma)

15. Post-Harvest Handling of Ornamental Crops 248-266

(Maya Priya, Anjali Kumari Jha, Lalduhsanga and Sonam Meena)

16. Techniques of Indoor Gardening and Interiorscaping 267-286

(Sakshi S. Vyas)

17. Biofortification in Vegetable Crops 287-299

(Suprava Biswal, Katta Sreevandana and Pooja Kanwar Shekhawat)
 Chapter - 15
Post-Harvest Handling of Ornamental Crops

Authors
Maya Priya
Ph.D. Scholar Division of Flower and Medicinal Crops, ICAR-
IARI Outreach campus IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Anjali Kumari Jha
M.Sc. Scholar Department of Horticulture (Vegetable &
Floriculture), Bihar Agricultural University Sabour, Bhagalpur,
Bihar, India
Lalduhsanga
Ph.D. Scholar Division of Flower and Medicinal Crops, ICAR-
IARI Outreach campus IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Sonam Meena
Ph.D. Scholar Division of Fruit Crops, ICAR-IARI Outreach
campus IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Page | 249
Page | 250
 Chapter - 15
Post-Harvest Handling of Ornamental Crops
Maya Priya, Anjali Kumari Jha, Lalduhsanga and Sonam Meena

Abstract
Flowers and ornamentals are an integral part of human life but it is highly
perishable in nature. Without post-harvest handling, it can’t store for a long
time. So, post-harvest handling is an important part of floriculture sector.
Flowers and ornamental plants have a strong relationship with pre-harvest,
post-harvest, and harvesting (harvesting stage, time, and method). It is
important to harvest flowers and ornamentals at the right time to preserve their
freshness and shelf life. Some examples include roses (at the tight bud stage),
marigolds (at the full opening stage), orchids (three to four days after the full
opening of the bloom), liliums (at the red bud stage), and others. Major
advantage of post-harvest handling is throughout the year flower supply,
farmers can get more profit, crops spoilage is low and provides employment
through post-harvest industry. Some physiological disorders are also found
during post-harvest handling such as, calyx splitting of carnation, bent neck
of rose, bud drying of lily, sleepiness of carnation, toppling of gladiolus, petal
discoloration of rose etc. After harvesting of flowers and ornamentals,
different practices should be followed for prolonged shelf life and avoid post-
harvest disorder, such as; precooling, conditioning, impregnation, pulsing,
grading, packaging, transportation, storage. Large amounts of flowers and
ornamentals cannot be consumed every day. So, export to other state or other
country is the only option. Agri-export zones have been established for this
purpose. The concept of an "agri-export zone" examines a specific produce or
product in great detail with the goal of creating and obtaining raw materials,
processing and packaging those materials, and ultimately exporting them. Agri
export's primary goal is to increase India's agricultural exports. India's central
government has approved 60 AEZs, each including roughly 40 different
agricultural products. Twenty states in the country have AEZs.
Keywords: Post harvest, flowers, ornamental and agri-export zone

Page | 251
Introduction
In the agricultural industry, floriculture has become a viable choice for
diversification. It is a sector that is growing quickly, with an annual growth
rate of more than 15% over the past 20 years. The domestic market for both
contemporary (cut flowers) and traditional (loose flowers) flowers has greatly
risen as a result of rapid urbanisation, rising income levels, and shifting
societal values. The volume of the local flower market has expanded for a
number of reasons, including the improvement in the nation's overall standard
of living and rising wealth, particularly among the middle class. Traditional
flowers (loose flowers) and cut flowers are grown in open fields and protected
environments, respectively, in the floriculture sector of India. Unlike other
horticultural or agricultural crops, flowers are exceedingly perishable. The
post-harvest losses in floriculture are much higher than in any other industry
due to poor keeping quality. Although the area, production, and productivity
of flower crops have significantly increased over the past 20 years, there is
still a pressing need to reduce the enormous post-harvest losses in terms of the
value of the produce, which are estimated to be between 30 and 40 percent of
farm value. Flowers' post-harvest behaviour results from physiological
processes that take place in their leaves, stems, flower buds, leafless
peduncles, or scapes that connect the bud to the stem. Cut flower senescence
and vase life may be impacted by some of these mechanisms acting separately,
but most of them are interconnected. Each crop and/or cultivar has a unique
character and degree of post-harvest damage to cut flowers. In relation to the
export of fresh flowers to far-off foreign markets, post-harvest losses takes on
particular importance. Because of this, after harvest, careful, gentle handling
of flowers is crucial.
Flowers are highly perishable and prone to postharvest losses. Nearly
30% of flowers lost its quality during post-harvest handling. Ornamentals are
intricate plant organs that can be rejected from the market if the quality of their
stems, leaves, or flower parts is compromised, whether they are chopped or
left whole. Selection of proper variety and pre harvest growing conditions are
the two important factors which determines the post-harvest life of the
flowers. Important factors which affect the post-harvest life of the flowers are:
1) Depletion of energy source
2) Stage of harvest
3) Microbial damage
4) Wilting and other physical damages due to handling
5) Poor packaging, transit and storage conditions

Page | 252
 6) Suboptimal cultural practices or conditions
The methods used to harvest and market cut flowers differs depending on
the specific crops, producers, production zones, and marketing strategies.
Post-harvest quality of ornamentals depends mainly on three factors
Pre-harvest factors
Crop selection
Selection of proper species and cultivars for ornamental crop production
is of utmost significance as it determines the final profitability. Select cultivars
that have high market demand, are resistant to prevalent insect/pests and
diseases, have high yield potential and good vase life potential (Ichimura et
al., 2002). Established crops with more information available about their
postharvest handling or that have proved their worth during past years would
be the most reliable to grow.
Plant health
Maintaining plants healthy during production and postharvest handling is
the ultimate goal to produce higher yields of best quality stems. If plants are
exposed to stress during production, e.g., improper fertilization, exposure to
prolonged drought, heat, or cold stress, or even over-irrigation, the postharvest
longevity could be reduced. However, excessive fertilization or warm humid
conditions during production results in lush green, healthy and vigorous plants
with more flowers, but which have a shorter vase life compared to those plants
grown with optimum fertilization and environmental conditions.
Environmental conditions
The environmental conditions of the area where the crop will be grown
should be considered well before planting. If the crop is grown in an unsuitable
area, poor quality stems with fewer flowers and shorter vase life will be
produced. Postharvest life is usually improved by the factors responsible for
improving produce quality before and after harvest. Among these, temperature
and light are the most important ones. Flowers grown with low light and
limited photosynthesis have low carbohydrate contents and after harvest, little
photosynthesis occurs due to further low light in processing area or florists’
shop. Respiration continues after harvest and low carbohydrate levels and high
respiration will enhance senescence and prevent the opening of buds and
immature flowers. Optimum light intensity during crop production is very
important for postharvest longevity and overall product quality.
Photosynthesis, respiration, and the build-up of carbohydrates are all impacted
by temperature. During hot periods of the year, crops sensitive to high

Page | 253
temperatures such as roses have shorter vase life due to low carbohydrate
levels and higher water loss through transpiration (Ahmad et al., 2014).
Nutrition
Flower longevity is significantly impacted by crop nutrition.
Photosynthesis is slowed down by nutrient deficiencies or excesses, which
also shortens vase life. Nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, iron, or manganese
deficiencies reduce leaf chlorophyll contents, which in turn reduces
photosynthetic rate. The net result is a low carbohydrate supply to the flowers.
Increased nitrogen levels during blooming can also have a negative impact on
maintaining quality and postharvest lifespan.
Diseases and insect-pests
Diseases and insect/pests reduce the vigour of the plant, which in turn
shorten the vase life. Diseased tissues may also release ethylene gas, which
hasten the senescence of cut flowers. Furthermore, tight quarantine regulations
at numerous ports and worldwide marketplaces prevent the export of flowers
that are ill or infected.
Harvest factors
The act of harvesting involves gathering ripe crops from the field. It is
dependent of distance to the market and the purpose of use of the crop.
Harvesting depends upon three factors, such as:
Stage of harvesting
Flowers often remain turgid for a long time if they are harvested when
they are at the proper stage of growth. Flowers cut at an advanced stage of
growth have a shorter longevity than younger ones. The best stage of flower
development for harvest depends on the plant species, varietals, season,
distance to market, and buyer preferences. Flowers are frequently gathered at
an advanced stage for local markets and at an early stage for markets that are
located farther away. Flowers cut too immaturely do not open properly; those
cut at too advanced stage wither quickly. Vase life of cut roses cv. Angelique
and super star can be lengthened, if buds are harvested at the stage when two
petals out curve from the tip. Compared to flowers collected at the tight bud
stage, rose cv. Sonia buds harvested when one petal was unfurling produced
flowers with a maximum flower diameter of 6.25 cm. When placed in vases
at an extremely low temperature, roses cut at the tight bud stage had less
potential to open their flowers. The cut flowers should be kept in holding
solution of STS 0.2 mM + 8 HQC 300 ppm + sucrose 2 percent (Elhindi,
2012). The contents of TSS and TFAA gradually increased from the less

Page | 254
developed flower buds. Red and pink roses are picked for direct sale when the
first two petals start to open and the calyx reflexes beneath a horizontal
passion. Red and pink rose varieties are at an earlier stage than the yellow
cultivar.
Time of Harvesting
The best time to harvest a crop depends on the type of plant and the
weather. It is best to harvest flowers when the weather is mild since high
temperatures increase plant respiration rates and cause excessive water loss. It
is best to collect flowers in the morning or evening. Because of transpiration
during the night, flowers are still turgid in the morning. Flowers clipped early
in the day, however, may be more prone to fungus infection. Similar to
flowering stems, when harvested in the late afternoon, a significant proportion
of stored carbohydrates are retained. Because they quickly permeate water,
flowers like roses, chrysanthemums, and gerbera are advised for harvesting in
the morning. Halevy and Mayak (1979) found that roses harvested in the late
afternoon had a longer post-harvest life than roses harvested in the early
morning. These effects have been linked to the higher levels of carbohydrates
produced by photosynthesis during the day and the lower levels of
carbohydrates produced by translocation and respiration during the night,
which result in lower levels of carbohydrates in flowers cut in the morning.
Method of Harvesting
The flower should be correctly harvested based on the type of stems being
used. Always use sharp instruments like secateurs to cut flower stems from
their parent plants. When harvesting, especially for stems made of hard wood,
the angle of the cut should be slanted, and the stem should not be crushed.
This kind of harvest exposes the most surface area that can quickly absorb
water. Herbaceous stems, which can also absorb water through epidermal
tissues, are unaffected by the cut's nature. The stems with minimal hardening
are excellent for harvest. The stems that are really close to the earth and are
rigid and highly lignified shouldn't be cut because they have a shorter vase life
because they absorb less water. For example, Chrysanthemum stems are to be
cut at a minimum of 10 cm above the surface.
Harvesting-index
Table 1: Harvesting stage

Name of the flower Purpose Stage of Harvest

1-2 petals beginning to unfold. At tight bud
Rose Cut flower
stage.

Page | 255
 Loose flower Matured, unopened bud stage
Jasmine
Oil extraction Fully opened flowers
Spadix almost fully developed 1/3rd of flowers
Anthurium Cut flower on spadix mature. Colour changes from the
bottom to the top.
Antirrhinum Cut flower 1/3rd florets open
Cattleya spp. Cut flower 4-5 days after opening.
Standard When outer florets fully expanded
Spray Flowers open but before shedding of pollens
Chrysanthemum Pompons and
The oldest flower's centre is completely open
decorative
Before the central disc florets start to elongate,
Anemones
the flowers are open.
Dahlia Cut flower Fully open flower
Standard Paint brush stage when flowers are half open
Carnation
Spray At least two completely opened flowers
Flowers are open but the outer two rows exhibit
Gerbera Cut flower
fully mature pollen shedding.
Gladiolus Cut flower 1-5 florets show colour
Bird of Paradise Cut flower The first blossoming flower
Cut flower Long stalked blossom that is fully opened
China aster Loose flower
and oil Fully opened with short or no stem
extraction
Cut flower At the base, only a few blossoms appear.
Tube rose Loose flower
and oil When all the flowers are fully opened
extraction
Tulip Cut flower At half coloured buds
Lilium (lily) Cut flower Coloured buds
Cymbidium sp. Cut flower 3-4 days after opening of all flowers
Dendrobium sp. Cut flower Fully opened flowers.

Post-harvest factors
Temperature
Optimum temperature is major factor longevity of flowers. Opening of
flower buds and rate of senescence accelerate at higher temperatures (Gupta
and Dubey, 2018). At lower temperatures, the respiration rate slows, the
amount of ethylene produced by the flower is reduced, and the pace of
microbial multiplication is not accelerated. Tropical flower are very sensitive
to low temperature and these flowers should be stored at high temperature (8-

Page | 256
15) ⁰C. When flowers are harvested when they are still young, the temperature
is crucial in enabling full bud expansion by the time they reach their final
consumers. In such case, flower bud may be kept at temperature as low as 0
⁰C in carnation, 1⁰C for rose, 4 ⁰C for gladiolus, and 10 ⁰C for tropical and sub-
tropical orchids. It is vital to maintain optimal pre-cooling temperatures for
various cut flowers to eliminate field heat.
Light
Cut flowers already treated with floral preservatives are not much affected
by light. However, Alstromeria, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, and Gladiolus
flowers require light for long-distance transportation or prolonged storage.
Similar to this, cut flowers with tight buds must be exposed to strong light
levels in order to open. Carnations, for example, can be kept in the dark for a
longer time without losing quality. Chrysanthemum should be illuminated
during storage with a light intensity of (500-1000) klk to protect the plants
from yellowing of leaves. It has been discovered that UV radiation that passes
through greenhouse covering materials stimulates the blackening of petals.
Potted plants are generally transplanted for long distance in darkness. Long
period of darkness cause yellowing of newer terminal foliage, leaf and flower
and excessive shoot elongation. Plants like Aglaonema, Brassaiaand, and
Yucca can be kept in darkness for 30 days without or minimal loss of quality
(Tijskens et al., 1996).
Humidity
According to Doi et al., (2000), cut flowers should be stored at 90–95
percent relative humidity to retain turgidity and lengthen their shelf lives after
harvest. Flowers begin to exhibit signs of wilting when they have lost 10–15
percent of their fresh weight. Increases in high relative humidity slow down
the rate of transpiration from leaves. But it should be remembered that at high
temperatures combined with high relative humidity, flowers are susceptible to
infection by bacterial and fungal diseases. Cut flower and perennial cuttings
with enough water in them shouldn't be kept in a dry environment since the
transpiration losses lead them to lose some of their turgidity. High temperature
cause high transpiration. The relative humidity of the air should be kept
between 90 and 98% while pre-cooling and shipping cut flowers and
herbaceous cuttings. Higher atmospheric humidity prevents petals from
withering and losing water.
Water quality
Water quality is determined by factors including pH and EC values,
phytotoxic element hardness amounts, and bacteria that cause vascular

Page | 257
occlusions that shorten the lifespan of cut flowers. A key element affecting the
durability of cut flowers is the quality of the water used in vases. The longevity
of flowers and the effectiveness of the chemical solutions used in holding,
pulsing, and bud opening solutions are both impacted by the components of
tap water, which vary substantially in different regions. Saline water decreases
the vase life of flowers. Different species of cut flowers respond differently to
salinity. When the concentration of salts in the water reaches 700 ppm for cut
gladiolus, flower longevity begins to decline, whereas 200 ppm of salts in the
water is harmful for cut roses, chrysanthemums, and carnations. For every 100
g/liter increase in salinity, the time a vase lasts before concreting salts over
200 ppm decreases by half.
Ethylene
It is a phytohormone that has a significant impact on how climacteric
flowers regulate and coordinate their senescence. Hormone production is little
and steady in floral buds and young flowers, although ethylene secretion is
strongly present during flower maturity, opening, and senescence. Afterwards
ethylene production decreases and remains static. A wide range of flowers is
affected by ethylene, showing some typical symptoms such as- (a) Sleepiness
of carnation. (b) Ipomoea corolla fading or rolling. (c) Orchids' sepal tips
fading and withering. (d) Induction of anthocyanin production in female
reproductive organs. (e) Abscission of flowers and petals. Therefore, certain
conditions like low oxygen concentration, hypobaric conditions, or
maintaining low temperatures for the flowers should be upheld in order to
prevent ethylene synthesis.
Post-harvest handling Procedures
It is a method or set of management techniques for enhancing crop quality
after harvest. Although we are only talking about flower crops here, different
crops like fruit crops, vegetable crops, plantation crops, and flower crops all
have different management practices.

Page | 258
 Post-harvest handling Chain
Harvesting
The act of gathering a mature crop from the field is called harvesting.
Pre-cooling
It is done for removal of field heat. After harvest, placing in cold room or
open box for removes excess heat. Additionally, it can be done through forced
cooling, hydro-cooling, ice bar cooling, etc. The decrease in temperature by
pre-cooling prevents Botrytis infection and results in reduction of ethylene
from the package.
Advantage: Prevents water loss, decrease flower sensitivity to ethylene,
reduction in respiration rate.
Example: Alstroemia 4 ⁰C, Anthurium 13 ⁰C, Rose 1-3 ⁰C, Gladiolus 4
⁰C.
Conditioning
Conditioning is a simple process where flower are kept standing loosely
in a big container so that air can circulate around the stems. This procedure is
used to restore the turgidity of cut flowers that have been subjected to water
stress during storage and transit. Using demineralized water that has been
infused with germicides and acidified with citric acid to a pH of 4-5,
conditioning is accomplished by administering the water to the flowers.
Impregnation
Sometimes the cut end of the piece was briefly treated with a chemical.
This outcome prevents microbial growth and stem deterioration from clogging

Page | 259
the water vessel in the stem. Cut rose flower bases were impregnated for 10
minutes with high concentrations of silver nitrate (AgNO3) or nickel chloride
(NiCl2) (Knee, 2000).
Example: Aster, Gladiolus, Gerbera, Dahlia
Pulsing
Pulsing is the process by which chemical solutions with sugar and
germicide are absorbed through the lower cut bases of flower stems. The main
purposes of pulsing are to lengthen the vase life, encourage opening, and
enhance the size and colour of ornamentals. It is used with high sugar
concentrations, primarily sucrose, and the amount varies greatly from crop to
crop and species to species.
Example
• Chrysanthemum should be treated with 2-6% sucrose (Bhattacharjee,
1998).
• Birth of Paradise or Carnation needed 10% sucrose (Crilley and Pull,
1993).
• Gladiolus needed 20% sucrose (De et al., 1996).
Grading
Grading is the process of categorising flowers according to quality before
marketing. For each bunch to command a fair price on the market, the flowers
must be the same size, weight, or quality. Grading is based on factors such as
appearance, maturity level, flaws, or damage brought on by diseases. Good
quality grading characteristics include stems that are straight, appropriate
length, leaves that are dark green and vibrant, and that are devoid of disease
or chemical spray residue. In accordance with international standards, rose
flowers should be uniform in colour, stem length, and development are
grouped together, and universal four grades are consistently maintained for
gladiolus flowers, including uniform in colour, stem length, and development
are grouped together.
Packaging
Flowers should be packaged to guard against physical harm, water loss,
and other influences while being transported. Depending on the flower, the
market's character, and the packaging's capacity, these factors can vary.
Majority of the time, flowers are loosely strung with rubber bands and
organised into 5, 10, 12, 15, or 20 stems. Individual flower bunches are
wrapped in appropriate packaging materials like cellophane, Kraft paper,

Page | 260
newspaper, tissue paper, or corrugated card stock sheet before being placed in
the package. However, at the local market, the bunch is kept in a bucket-like
container.
Transportation
Flowers should be delivered as soon as possible after harvest because they
are perishable and short lived in nature. There are three methods of
transportation for ornamental plants, mainly shipping by truck, air and sea. Air
transport is the costliest of the three methods but it is fastest. Truck
transportation is the main mode for foliage plant or cut flower, it must be
provided with cooling system, heating system, artificial light facility and
should also maintain relative humidity. Some plants, such as Brassia, Areca,
Polyscia, and Dracaena, respond well to sea transportation. But desiccation is
the major problem in sea transportation and to overcome these problem, the
following steps are recommended:
• Modified growing media
• Protect plants from drought condition
• Maintain relative humidity,
• Temperature and artificial light should be maintained
Storage
The final and most crucial post-harvest procedure for foliage and other
decorative plants is storage. Storage is the process of storing a large quantity
of ornaments for a few days or several months in a cool house.
• Optimum levels of light, temperature, relative humidity, ethylene
and soil moisture should be maintained in the storage environment.
• According to Mahajan et al., (2014), in the storage condition, tissues
should have a lower metabolic rate, a slower rate of respiration and
transpiration, produce less ethylene, and develop less bacteria and
fungi.
• Some foliage plants can be show some damage, if stored for long
days under cool storage. The problems are leaf chlorosis, flower and
foliage drop, desiccation or reduction of plant grade.
• Storage are of different type such as, cool storage, wet storage, dry
storage etc.
• Gladiolus flower can be stored in polypropylene packing under cold
storage for 10 days (Singh, 2007).

Page | 261
 • According to Dastagiri et al., (2014), ornithogalum spikes are best
stored in modified environment packaging with cellophane for up to
3 days at 4 ⁰C.
Ex: Bulbous plants needs 4-5 ⁰C, Rose and carnation needs 0-1 ⁰C.
Market
Market means a region or a place where consumer comes together to buy
their preferred product and needs. Indian cities has different market in
different part of the cityscapes. Some important markets are Mumbai, Kolkata,
Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
Marketing Channels: There are three marketing channels followed by
flower growers.
1) Producer----Wholesaler ----Retailer----Consumer.
2) Producer----Pre-harvest contractor----Consumer.
3) Producer----Processor.
Advantage of post-harvest technology
• Maintains freshness of crops for a long time
• Year-round availability of seasonal crops
• Farmers can get more profit
• Reduced crop spoilage
• Provides employment
Major problem post-harvest life in ornamentals
Bent neck
It is a common problem in roses and is due to following reason-
• A lack of water in the neck tissue, which is influenced by the rate of
transpiration, the rate of water absorption, and the capacity of the
many organs on the cut flower shoot to compete for water.
• The appearance of clogging components like pectin, cellulose, and
microorganisms.
• Extreme temperature during shipping or storage.
Limp Neck
It's a condition that affects roses that is brought on by water stress in the
region right below the flower head. The weight of the top causes the damaged
flower bud to bow. One of the causes could be that the flower head doesn't
have enough energy stored.

Page | 262
Bud drying
A common issue with Asiatic hybrid lilies is the flower bud's apparent
desiccation and shrivelling, which is followed by abscission. By using STS
pulsing, this issue is resolved.
Calyx Splitting
Calyx splitting is mainly found in double type of carnation. A cylindrical
calyx tube, supported by the petals, cannot be formed by the sepals beneath
the flowers. The calyx during bud opening may split in half or completely.
Genetics, high levels of ammonium nitrate, low levels of N2, hot daytime and
low night temperatures, dense planting, and low levels of boron are the main
causes.
Sleepiness
This condition, which also affects carnations, is typically brought on by
high ethylene synthesis or water stress. Ethylene synthesis occurs much higher
when flowers are stored for long periods or when they are kept at high
temperature.
Flower bud blasting
A disorder found in tulip that is cause by dry storage or forcing of bulbs.
It has been reported that a change in the plant’s hormonal status, which
regulate the distribution in carbohydrates and other organic materials within
the plant, is main reason of blasting.
Topple
Gladiolus topple is indicated by the breaking of the spikes after the florets
in the vase have opened. Spikes that have been taken from soil that lacks
calcium are more likely to collapse.
Bull Head
Bull head in roses is caused by thrips infection, insufficient glucose
supply to growing buds, and harsh pruning. Shorter shelf life is a problem for
roses.
Petal Discoloration
Low night and day temperatures are correlated with accumulation of
pigments and is accompanied by blackening of petals and often stimulated by
ultraviolet radiation through the materials covering the greenhouse. Blueing
during storage is attributed to the breakdown of proteins, release of free
ammonia and contaminants increases the pH. The use of AOA increases the
bluing of red rose petals, while the use of STS decreases it.

Page | 263
Conclusion
The post-harvest treatments, generally, are a mix of traditional treatments
and already consolidated use of preservative solutions composing of sucrose
and hypochlorite of sodium, with ease of manipulation and acquisition of these
ingredients.
Since cut flowers are by their very nature highly perishable, post-harvest
methods are essential for boosting their competitiveness. Roses are one of the
most popular cut flowers grown in the nation, but they are also of average
quality and have a short vase life. Small farmers grow them in open fields and
sell them locally, which makes them of particular importance. The degradation
phase starts the instant a rose stem is severed from the mother plant.
Depending on the features of the variety, cultivation methods, and post-
harvest treatments, this deterioration can occur more quickly or less quickly.
The lack of water and nutrients, which are required for the floral stem to
breathe (consume nutrients) and transpire (consume water), are the main
causes of decay. Vase-life or longevity in the vase is one of the primary
requirements for current Rose varieties. Growers choose the variety that
satisfies these needs as a result, but they must still use extreme caution while
using cultivation practises and handling after harvest.
References
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