Innovation in

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Innovation in postharvest storage of flowers
Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) The
Volcani Center ISRAEL
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Development of postharvest pre-treatments applied
before shipment (at the grower level) to improve
the vase life quality of cut flowers
Demonstration of efficiency of treatments with
the T.O.G products produced by Merhav Agro.
Ltd.
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All experiments were performed in the lab of Dr.
Shimon Meir Dr. Sonia Philosoph-Hadas The
Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh
Produce, ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan
50250, ISRAEL E-mail shimonm_at_volcani.agri.gov.il
vtsoniap_at_volcani.agri.gov.il
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Germicides used as floral preservatives

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Plant Growth Regulators

• Auxin (IAA, NAA, 2,4-D, 2,4,5-TP)
• Cytokinin (BA) ?
• Gibberellin (GA3) ?
• Ethylene / Ethylene inhibitors ?

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Means to Extend Vase Life of Cut Flowers

• Harvest high quality flowers
• Cleaning
• Pulsing, spray, dipping or gazing treatments
  preservatives, sucrose, surfactants, plant growth
  regulators, ethylene inhibitors
• Cooling chain from packing to consumer
• Vase solution (sucrose, preservatives)

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Floricultural Chain

• Points in the chain in which flower quality can
  be Improved by various chemical treatments

Grower
Wholesaler / Bouquet maker
Retailer
Consumer
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Physiological processes in cut flowers

• Leaf senescence
• Leaf wilting
• Flower opening
• Flower senescence

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Examples for efficiency of T.O.G products in cut
flowers
Demonstration of use of the T.O.G
products, produced by Merhav Agro, for improving
cut flowers quality at the grower level, based
on the various physiological processes involved.
The T.O.G products are successfully applied by
the Israeli growers, and help in preserving the
high quality of the cut flowers exported from
Israel.
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Examples for efficiency of T.O.G products in cut
flowers- cont.
Most of the pre-treatments were developed for
newly introduced cut flowers, since this is the
major trend of the flower export from Israel.
Treatments for traditional cut flowers, such as
roses and carnations, were previously developed
by Prof. Halevy and Prof. Mayak from the Faculty
of Agriculture. Their research was also based on
T.O.G products.
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Leaf Senescence
Curcuma
Sandersonia
Lilium
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Gibberellin pulsing to retard early leaf
senescence in Curcuma alismatifolia following
15 days of vase life
Control
0.75 TOG-L-103
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Gibberellin pulsing to retard early leaf
senescence in Lilium L/A hybr. Shira
following 7 days of vase life
Control
0.2 TOG-L-103
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Gibberellin pulsing to retard early leaf
senescence in Lilium L/A hybr. Shira
following 7 days of vase life
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Gibberellin pulsing to retard early leaf
senescence in Lilium L/A hybr. Shira
following 7 days of vase life
Control
0.2 TOG - 103
0.4 TOG-103
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Leaf Wilting
Cytokinin
Surfactants
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Effect of TOG pulsing treatments on leaf wilting
of chrysanthemum (solorama) cut flowers after 2
days of vase life
Control
Surfactants
0.5 TOG-L-101
0.5 TOG-L-101 Surfactants
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Effect of pulsing treatments and their duration
on leaf wilting and yellowing of chrysanthemum
(solorama) cut flowers after 6 days of vase life
0.5 TOG-L-101 Surfactants
Control
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Effect of TOG-L-101 and surfactant on leaf
wilting and status of tracheary elements in
chrysanthemum (solorama) cut flowers
Cross section of re-open tracheary elements
TOG-L-101 and surfactant treated stem trimmed in
air
20
Effect of pulsing treatments on leaf wilting and
yellowing of solidago (tara) cut flowers after
8 days of vase life
Control
0.1 STS-75
0.5 TOG-L-101 0.1 STS-75
21
Effect of pulsing treatments on leaf wilting and
yellowing of solidago (tara) cut flowers after
11 days of vase life
Control
0.1 TOG-11 1 TOG-L-101
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Effect of TOG products on leaf wilting in
Asclepias silky cut flowers during vase life
Control
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Effect of TOG products on leaf wilting in
Asclepias silky cut flowers during vase life
0.4 TOG-3
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Effect of TOG products on leaf wilting in
Asclepias silky cut flowers during vase life
0.4 TOG-5
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Flower Opening
Limonium
Liatris
Bulbinella Delphinium Sage Gypsophila
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Postharvest pulsing treatments to improve flower
opening and quality and to extend vase life

• Sucrose
• Methods of application
• Pulsing treatment for 24 h
• Continuous treatment in holding solution during
  vase-life
• Combined application and pulsing treatment
  holding solution

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Effect of sucrose and preservatives pulsing on
flower opening of limonium cut flowers
Beltlaard 8 days
Control
10 Sucrose in 0.4 TOG-3
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Effect of sucrose and preservatives pulsing on
flower opening of limonium cut flowers
Emylie 4 days
Control
10 Sucrose in 0.4 TOG-3
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Effect of sucrose and preservatives pulsing on
flower opening of gypsophila cut flowers
10 Sucrose in 0.15 TOG-3 0.1 STS-75
Control 0.15 TOG-3 0.1 STS-75
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Effect of sucrose pulsing on flower opening of
Liatris spicata cut flowers following 7 days of
vase life
Control
5 Sucrose in 0.2 TOG-3
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Effect of sucrose pulsing or continuous
treatments on flower opening of Bulbinella
latifolia cut flowers following 5 days of vase
life
Sucrose pulsing in TOG-6
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Effect of sucrose pulsing treatments on flower
opening of Delphinium consolida cut flowers
following 7 days of vase life
0.3 STS-75 TOG-6
0.3 STS-75 5 Sucrose TOG-6
Control (TOG-6)
5 Sucrose in TOG-6
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Flower Senescence

• Effect of ethylene action inhibitors on
  senescence of cut carnation flowers

0.3 STS-75
200 ppb-MCP
0.1 TOG-1
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Flower Senescence

• Effect of ethylene action inhibitors on
  senescence of cut carnation flowers

Ethylene
Control
1-MCP
STS-75
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Summary

• The results of our presented experiments clearly
  show the need of pre-treatments performed at the
  grower level with the
• T.O.G products
• to guarantee maximal flower quality and extended
  vase life for the satisfaction of the consumer.