CHEMICAL PRETREATMENT OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS BEFORE SHIPMENT

Pulsing cut chrysanthemums with silver nitrate plus 5% sugar for 16 hours before a 4 day simulated shipment significantly increased longevity regardless of shipping temperatures within a range of 2 to 15°C. Unpulsed flowers kept longer when shipped at 2°C than at either 8° or 15°C.

Because of the inconvenience of silver in preservative solutions, alternative biocides were compared.
The slow release chlorine, SDT, that was suggested earlier for pulsing or opening chrysanthemums was compared to a quaternary ammonium product, Physan. ‘Albatross’ buds pulsed or opened in Physan – sugar solutions had greater longevity than those pretreated with ST and were comparable to a silver – citric acid solution.
The optimal concentration for Physan for opening was 100 ppm and for pulsing, 200 ppm.
Pulsing with Physan sugar solutions are now being used commercially for some pompon cultivars.

II International Symposium on Post-harvest Physiology of Cut Flowers

Anton M. Kofranek, A. H. Halevy

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1981.113.13