QUANTIFICATION OF EMBOLI BY VISUALIZATION OF AIR FILLED XYLEM VESSELS

Between harvest and vase life the cut surface of most cut flowers is exposed to air for a longer or shorter period. It was hypothesized that under normal harvest and transport conditions air only enters the cut open vessels and does not move to non-cut vessels. The vessel length distribution of chrysanthemum stems was analyzed with the latex particle method and compared to the distribution of air embolisms in 5% (w/w) desiccated stems, visualized using cryo-scanning electron microscopy. It was concluded that by moderate desiccation all cut open vessels are completely air-filled and that intact vessels are not embolized.

VII International Symposium on Postharvest Physiology of Ornamental Plants

J. Nijsse, U. van Meeteren, C.J. Keijzer

cut flowers, dry storage, post-harvest, cryo-SEM, air-embolism, xylem vessel length.

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.543.29