Cut Flower Postharvest - Manipulating Preharvest Factors to Maximize Vase Life and Developing Handling Procedures for New Cut Flowers
Dr. John Dole, North Carolina University, $20,000, 2 year project
Full Proposal
Dr. John Dole, Professor, North Carolina State University
Dr. William Fonteno, Professor, North Carolina State University
Dr. Sylvia Blankenship, Professor, North Carolina State University
Executive Summary
Two key research areas for the cut flower industry are providing flowers with a long postharvest life and introducing new cut flower species. A long postharvest life ensures that the customers – wholesalers, retailers and final consumers – will be satisfied and will return to purchase more flowers. A long postharvest performance begins with optimizing preharvest factors such as light level, production temperature, water availability and humidity. Cut flower producers need to know how to balance environmental factors to maintain proper postharvest life without sacrificing quality, crop timing, and profitability.
Interesting new cut flowers excite buyers and increase sales. Each year a wide variety of new cultivars and species are evaluated in the National Cut Flower Trial Programs, administered by N. C. State University and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG). These new cultivars are tested at approximately 50 locations in the United States and Canada, providing valuable production and marketing information. However, postharvest life, a key component of a successful cut flower cultivar, is not included in the trial program. New species have become a major factor in the cut flower industry but specific postharvest information is required to allow these cuts to be properly handled.
The objectives of this research are to 1) Develop a model relating preharvest factors to vase life and 2) Screen new cut flowers species/cultivars to select those which have a long postharvest life and determine optimum postharvest handling procedures for the most promising new cut flower cultivars.
This research will help producers maximize postharvest life of cut flowers and reduce seasonal postharvest variability. In addition, we will provide information allowing producers to decide which environmental factors are most important to control to enhance postharvest life. This work will also increase the number of new cut flower species that producers can confidently grow and market and that wholesalers, retailers and consumers can purchase. The continued success of the cut flower industry requires the successful introduction of new cut flower species with a long postharvest life.
Two key research areas for the cut flower industry are providing flowers with a long postharvest life and introducing new cut flower species. A long postharvest life ensures that the customers – wholesalers, retailers and final consumers – will be satisfied and will return to purchase more flowers. A long postharvest performance begins with optimizing preharvest factors such as light level, production temperature, water availability and humidity. Cut flower producers need to know how to balance environmental factors to maintain proper postharvest life without sacrificing quality, crop timing, and profitability.
Interesting new cut flowers excite buyers and increase sales. Each year a wide variety of new cultivars and species are evaluated in the National Cut Flower Trial Programs, administered by N. C. State University and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG). These new cultivars are tested at approximately 50 locations in the United States and Canada, providing valuable production and marketing information. However, postharvest life, a key component of a successful cut flower cultivar, is not included in the trial program. New species have become a major factor in the cut flower industry but specific postharvest information is required to allow these cuts to be properly handled.
The objectives of this research are to 1) Develop a model relating preharvest factors to vase life and 2) Screen new cut flowers species/cultivars to select those which have a long postharvest life and determine optimum postharvest handling procedures for the most promising new cut flower cultivars.
This research will help producers maximize postharvest life of cut flowers and reduce seasonal postharvest variability. In addition, we will provide information allowing producers to decide which environmental factors are most important to control to enhance postharvest life. This work will also increase the number of new cut flower species that producers can confidently grow and market and that wholesalers, retailers and consumers can purchase. The continued success of the cut flower industry requires the successful introduction of new cut flower species with a long postharvest life.
For further information contact Dr. John Dole at john_dole@ncsu.edu
