Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata Vieill.) is an ornamental perennial herb reaching 2 to 5 m in height and each tiller ending in a showy inflorescence. The main attraction is the brightly coloured red bracts of the inflorescence which has a long vase life. The present experiment was carried out to exploit the long vase life property of these plants to the maximum and thereby add their value in cut flower industry. The effect of various combinations of Sucrose + BA + 8-HQS was studied and appropriate concentrations were standardized. Article Citation: Thomas VP, Prabhu Kumar KM, Sabu M, Prasanth AV and Mohanan KV. Effect of Sucrose and Benzyl Adenine in the promotion of cut flower vase life in Alpinia purpurata Vieill., a charming ornamental ginger. Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092. Full Text: http://plantsciences.co.in/documents/PS0030.pdf

1. Effect of Sucrose and Benzyl Adenine in the promotion of cut flower vase
life in Alpinia purpurata Vieill., a charming ornamental ginger
ABSTRACT:
Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata Vieill.) is an ornamental perennial herb
reaching 2 to 5 m in height and each tiller ending in a showy inflorescence. The main
attraction is the brightly coloured red bracts of the inflorescence which has a long
vase life. The present experiment was carried out to exploit the long vase life
property of these plants to the maximum and thereby add their value in cut flower
industry. The effect of various combinations of Sucrose + BA + 8-HQS was studied and
appropriate concentrations were standardized.
089-092 | JRPS | 2012 | Vol 1 | No 2
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Authors:
Thomas VP, Prabhu
Kumar KM, Sabu M,
Prasanth AV and
Mohanan KV.
Institution:
Department of Botany,
University of Calicut,
Kerala - 673635, India.
Corresponding author:
Thomas VP.
Email:
msabu9@gmail.com.
Web Address:
http://plantsciences.info/
documents/PS0030.pdf.
Dates:
Received: 23 Apr 2012 Accepted: 14 May 2012 Published: 24 May 2012
Article Citation:
Thomas VP, Prabhu Kumar KM, Sabu M, Prasanth AV and Mohanan KV.
Effect of Sucrose and Benzyl Adenine in the promotion of cut flower vase life in
Alpinia purpurata Vieill., a charming ornamental ginger.
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092
Original Research
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences
JournalofResearchinPlantSciences An International Scientific Research Journal

2. INTRODUCTION
Alpinia is an economically important ornamental
ginger native to French Polynesia and other Pacific
Islands. A. purpurata starts to flower within 4-6 months
after planting. The inflorescences are harvested at
different stages of development such as bud stage, 1/3 of
the bracts opened, 2/3 of the bracts opened and full
bracts opened. Inflorescences are preferably harvested in
the early morning while still turgid and fresh are
available and if possible, the entire shoot is cut at the
time of harvesting because a longer stem increases both
the post harvest vase life of the inflorescence and its
demand as cutflower. The inflorescences are ideal also
for flower arrangements. The plant can be grown in pots
or as hedge plant in gardens or as a cut flower crop. It is
a good foundation planting especially in front of blank
walls and near garden ponds. The plant can be cultivated
as an intercrop in arecanut and coconut groves, in rubber
plantations, etc. The inflorescences with differently
coloured bracts are the main attraction of the plant
(Prabhu Kumar et al., 2010).
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Alpinia purpurata inflorescences of same age (3
weeks) and same size were collected in the morning from
uniformly aged plants grown in the first cropping season
of 2008 in Calicut University Botanical Garden, Calicut,
Kerala. The cut ends of the inflorescences were dipped
in water immediately after the removal from mother
plant. Peduncle length of all the inflorescences was set to
13 cm length. The end of the peduncle was cut and the
peduncle length was adjusted under water just before
keeping them in uniform quantity of vase solutions kept
in transparent glass jars of uniform dimensions. The
inflorescences were maintained under uniform conditions
till they started symptoms of wilting, or drooping and
browning of the inflorescences due to the discoloration
of bracts. Details of the vase solutions used are given in
Table 1. The solutions were prepared using different
concentrations of Sucrose (1, 3, 5 and 10% and the plant
hormone Benzyl Adenine (BA) (1, 3, 5 and 10 mg/l). In
all the combinations, 200 mg/l of 8-hydroxy quinoline
sulphate (8-HQS) was added. In all the cases 100 ml of
vase solutions were taken in 200 ml transparent vases
and all the experiments were carried out in laboratory
with 29±30
C temperature. The inflorescences were
sprayed with distilled water every day using a hand
sprayer.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Sucrose and BA in combination with 8 HQS
induces prolonged vase life in Alpinia purpurata. A
maximum vase life of 18-20 days was observed in the
solution with 5 % sucrose and 3 mg/l BA (Table 1 and
Fig. 1) and minimum vase life in the case of distilled
water with 8 HQS (5-8 days). Distilled water without
Thomas et al., 2012
090 Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092
Fig 1 Red ginger A. Vase life experiments B. Bouquet preparation

3. HQS gave a vase life of 9-11 days. The main changes
observed at the end of vase life were discolouration of
bracts, flower blooming, drying up of bracts, shrinkage
of peduncle, fungal attack, etc.
Quinoline salts are known to be acidifying as
well as fungistatic, inhibiting many fungi and bacteria
(Satoh, 2005). Cutting stem from the mother plant
removes the sources of nutrients, photosynthate,
hormones and water. Supply of sugars to cut flowers
promotes bud opening and retards flower senescence
(Doi & Reid, 1995). Sucrose delays petal sensitivity to
ethylene, which delays the onset of climacteric ethylene
production and senescence (Mayak & Dilley, 1976).
Sucrose treatment increases longevity of individual
florets by increasing the pool of respiratory substrate
(Halevy & Mayak, 1979). However, higher concentration
of sucrose promoted the profuse growth of fungal
elements.
CONCLUSION
An extension of vase life of 9-10 days is
achieved in A. purpurata through a combination of
sucrose, BA and 8-HQS. The combination of vase
solution with 5 % sucrose, 3 mg/l BA and 200 mg/l 8-
hydroxy quinoline sulphate is found to be the most
suitable for red ginger.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are grateful to Department of
Biotechnology, New Delhi, Govt. of India for the
financial assistance to the research project “Potential
Ornamental Gingers: Domestication, Improvement and
Development of Agrotechniques” (BT/PR6735/
PBD/16/605/2005 dtd. 29.09.2006).
REFERENCES
Mayak S and Dilley DR. 1976. Effect of sucrose on
response of cut carnation to kinetin, ethylene, and
abscisic acid. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., 101:583-585.
Doi M and Reid MS. 1995. Sucrose Improves the
Pstharvest Life of Cut flowers of a Hybrid Limonium.
Hort Science. 30(5):1058-1060.
Thomas et al., 2012
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092 091
Table 1. Observation onvase life experiments in
Alpinia purpurata
Treatments
Number of days
of vase life
T1à 1 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 14.0 ± 1.00
T2à 3 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 13.0 ± 0.50
T3à 5 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 15.0 ± 0.50
T4à 1 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 13.0 ± 0.50
T5à 3 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 13.5 ± 0.50
T6à 5 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 19.0± 1.00
T7à 1 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 13.5± 0.50
T8à 3 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 13.0± 1.00
T9à 5 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 16.5± 1.50
T10à 1 % Sucrose + 10 mg / l BA 10.0± 1.00
T11à 3 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 14.0± 0.50
T12à 5 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 15.5± 0.50
T13à 10 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 13.0± 1.00
T14à 10 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 15.0± 2.00
T15à 10 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 09.0± 0.50
T16à 10 % Sucrose + 10 mg / l
BA
15.0± 1.00
T17à distilled water + 8 HQS 07.0± 1.00
T18à distilled water (control) 10.0± 1.00
All combinations supplemented with 200 mg/l
8 HQS
Numberofdays
Treatments
Fig 2 Vaselife Experiment in Alpinia purpurata

4. Halevy AH and Mayak S. 1979. Senescence and
postharvest physiology of cut flowers. Part 1. Hort. Rev.,
1:204-236.
Prabhu Kumar KM, Sabu M, Thomas VP, Nimisha
G and Mohanan KV. 2010. Red Ginger: A Promising
Crop for Floriculturists. Plant Hortitech 10(1):40-43.
Satoh S, Nukui H and Inokuma T. 2005. A method for
determining the vase life of cut spray carnation flowers.
J. Appl. Hort., 7(1):8-10.
Thomas et al., 2012
092 Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092
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