Quality of Ornamentals

The main scope of the Working Group Quality of Ornamentals is to bring together researchers, scientists, students, growers, extension people, and exporters, dealing with postharvest physiology, handling, marketing, and maintaining quality of cut flowers/greens, potted plants, ornamental geophytes, and other ornamental products from all over the world. Therefore, the main scientific activity of Working Group Quality of Ornamentals is to organize regular (mostly four-yearly) International Symposia on Postharvest Quality of Ornamental Plants, to come together to discuss the progress and advances in postharvest science and technologies. The Working Group also organizes related international symposia or workshops during International Horticultural Congresses, such as the one in Angers, France, in 2022.
The main aim of the regular symposia organized by this Working Group is to present and share the important results and new developments on postharvest issues of ornamental plants, to achieve a better understanding of the postharvest physiology of ornamentals, to control and maintain their quality and extend their vase/shelf life, to encourage implementation of the environmental friendly concepts in postharvest treatments, and to lead to future research work, thus to improve the network and collaboration among postharvest scientists, researchers, growers, exporters and ornamental industry representatives. The international symposia and workshops of Working Group Quality of Ornamentals intend to express and highlight the most recent developments, innovations and scientific topics dealing with improving our understanding, and sharing knowledge regarding various issues of ornamental postharvest, such as:

• flower senescence and programmed cell death (PCD),
• postharvest physiology of cut flowers and greens,
• the role of ethylene and other plant hormones in flower opening, senescence, and abscission,
• effect of pre-harvest factors on postharvest quality of potted plants and cut flowers/greens,
• post-production handling and maintaining quality of potted ornamental plants,
• postharvest handling and maintaining quality of cut flowers and greens,
• postharvest handling and temperature management for ornamental geophytes,
• environmental friendly and sustainable green concepts in the keeping quality of ornamentals,
• sustainability of ornamental chain,
• sustainable transporting flowers by sea and rail,
• postharvest pathology and entomology of cut flowers and greens,
• economical and marketing issues such as quality in handling systems and marketing.