Articles
THE INFLUENCE OF TIME AND TEMPERATURE DURING SIMULATED SHIPMENT ON THE QUALITY OF POT PLANTS
The climatic conditions varied from 5 to 30°C, the shipping times between 1 and 21 days, with a total of 36 different combinations of time and temperature.
The plants were stored in the dark, and the relative humidity was kept at 90%.
Two series of experiments were conducted, using the same time and temperature regimes.
In each of the experiments the same species and cultivars of plants were obtained, from 6 growers in two different regions making a total of twelve growers, and tested accordingly.
After simulated shipping the plants were taken to an evaluation room where they were judged on quality, followed by a second judgement, one week later.
For a great number of products the optimal temperature appeared to be in between 10 to 15°C.
The acceptable transport time varied between 1 and 21 days.
Generally flowering plants were more sensitive than foliage plants and prefer lower temperatures, in these experiments.