Articles
On farm Heliconia cut flower selection in Pernambuco – Brazil
Article number
1104_65
Pages
455 – 462
Language
English
Abstract
The demand for heliconia cut flower increases in Brazil.
Pernambuco, a state in the northeast region of Brazil, is one of the major producers of this tropical flower.
In the beginning, most of growers used to have more than 100 species and cultivars of heliconia.
In the past five years, the growers started to select the best genotypes to be used as cut flowers and eliminate the other species.
The most important criteria taken into consideration to select the species and cultivars were: production along the year; market acceptance; long lasting postharvest durability; production during the scarce period in the region (May to July); low maintenance requirement; better market price; packaged inflorescence adequacy in considering size and weight; and novelty aspect of the inflorescence.
This paper describes those aspects of selection criteria set up by growers to make the tropical flowers sector more sustainable and profitable with the hope of becoming more competitive in the floriculture sector and an exponent of tropical flower production.
Pernambuco, a state in the northeast region of Brazil, is one of the major producers of this tropical flower.
In the beginning, most of growers used to have more than 100 species and cultivars of heliconia.
In the past five years, the growers started to select the best genotypes to be used as cut flowers and eliminate the other species.
The most important criteria taken into consideration to select the species and cultivars were: production along the year; market acceptance; long lasting postharvest durability; production during the scarce period in the region (May to July); low maintenance requirement; better market price; packaged inflorescence adequacy in considering size and weight; and novelty aspect of the inflorescence.
This paper describes those aspects of selection criteria set up by growers to make the tropical flowers sector more sustainable and profitable with the hope of becoming more competitive in the floriculture sector and an exponent of tropical flower production.
Authors
V. Loges, M.C.F. Texeira, S.S.L. Silva, P.G.P. Lago, S.A.C.G. da Silva, T.L.DEA. Lima, A.C.R. de Castro
Keywords
tropical flowers, Heliconiaceae, participatory research, breeding production
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