A short presentation on basic postharvest management practices/techniques to be followed for preservation of flower. Brief postharvest practices of some important cut flower are also included.

1. 1

2. INTRODUCTION
• Cut flowers
– High valued crops
– Highly perishable
• Quality remain best at harvest

3. Cut flowers deteriorate as time
passes from harvesting
3

4. 4
How you will
minimize the on
going deterioration
of Cut flower after
harvesting
?
How long a Cut
flower will sustain
life
?

5. 5
It is the Respiration Rate of a flower that
determine how long a flower will sustain life
The next big question now is how to
reduce respiration rate
?

6. SOLUTION
Proper TEMPERATURE management
Adequate FOOD supply

7. 7
The higher the temperature, the higher is
the Respiration rate

8. 8
To maintain the FLOWER QUALITY after
harvesting Cool Chain Management is
thus essential.

9. 9
Besides the DEPLETION OF FOOD Cut stem of
Flowers are perishable due to one or more of the
following reasons viz.,
• Attacked by bacteria and fungi,
• Normal maturation and aging ,
• Desiccation due to water stress and xylem blockage,
• Bruising and crushing,
• Fluctuating temperatures during storage and transit,
• Colour loss,
• Accumulation of ethylene,
• Poor water quality and
• Sub optimal cultural management .
The flowers are thus required to be handled very
carefully and treated adequately during Pre harvest as
well as Post harvest period to maintain the
quality.

10. Pre Harvest
oGenetic or inherent makeup
oGrowing conditions
 Light
 Temperature
 Humidity
 Water
 Nutrients
 Pest & diseases
 Toxic gases
Harvest
 Stage of harvest
 Time of harvest
 Method of harvest
Post Harvest Factors
 Temperature
 Light
 Humidity
 Water quality
 Ethylene
 Preservatives
 Ventilation
 Packaging
 Diseases and Pests

11. 11
Post harvest handling of cut flowers
includes both harvest and handling.
● Harvest includes the decision of when,
how and where to cut and the actual act
of cutting the flower.
● Handling is everything else involved in
preparing the flowers for market.

12. 12
“WHEN”
Best time of day for harvesting
flowers
The best time is the coolest
part of the day and when there
is no surface water from dew
or rain on the plants.
This usually is in the cool of
the morning after the dew has
dried.

13. 13
General rules for when to harvest
are:
Spike type flowers—
Harvest when one-fourth to one-half of
the individual florets are open;
Daisy type flowers—
Harvest when flowers are fully open.

14. 14
Harvest Stage (I)
Stage of Development for Harvest of Fresh Cut Flowers
Name Stage of Development
Marigold Fully open flower
Tuberose More than 2 pairs of florets open
Rose Red and pink cultivars first 2 petals beginning to
unfold, calyx reflexed below a horizontal position
Yellow cultivars slightly earlier than red and Pink
White cultivars slightly later than red and pink
Chrysanthemum Standard cultivars outer petals fully elongated
Spray cultivars Singles open but before anthesis
Anemones open but before disk flowers start to
elongate Pompons and center of the oldest flower
decorative fully open
Gladiolus 1-5 buds showing color

15. 15
Name Stage of Development
Stage of Development for Harvest of Fresh Cut Flowers
Harvest Stage (II)
Gerbera outer row of flowers showing pollen
Carnation Standard cultivars half-open flowers
Spray cultivars 2 fully open flowers
Anthurium Spadix almost fully developed
Antirrhinum 1/3 florets open
China Aster fully open flowers
Coreopsis fully open flowers
Cocks Comb 1/2 florets open
Dahlia fully open flowers

16. 16
Maturity at Harvest

17. 17
Heliconia

18. 18
Cut flower Dahlia

19. 19
Air will enter through xylem
vessels ( Air Embolism)
Surface Evaporation
Colonization of
microorganism in the
xylem vessels

20. A.Cut stem exuding milky fluid
Causes stem plugging.
Hot water dip for few seconds.
B. Vase life of cut flower
affected by stem cut ends.
Recutting the stem in water-
prevents decline in water uptake
Recutting eliminates air from the
conducting vessels which increase
rehydration rate.

21. Precooling
Rapid removal of field heat,
immediately after the harvest of
flowers.
Done by placing in cold storage
without packing or in open
boxes.
Precooling temperature varies
from species to species
Example :
Gladiolus : 5-7 0
C
Bird of Paradise : 7-8 0
C

22. Pulsing
The absorption of
chemical solutions
containing sugar and
germicide through the
lower cut bases of flower
stem is known as pulsing.
Sucrose replace the
depleted endogenous CHO
utilised during the post
harvest life of flowers.

23. Cont..
Advantages of pulsing
Prolongs vase life of flower
Promotes opening of buds &
It retains the colour of flower
Example :
Rose and chrysanthemum: 2-6
percent sucrose
Carnation: 10 percent Sucrose

24. Use of standard holding or vase solution:
It is the solution retained in the flower vase throughout
its vase life.
Holding solution contains:
1. Carbohydrates : Sucrose & Dextrose
2. Germicide: 8HQS, 8HQC
3. Growth regulator : Gibberlic acid, Cytokinins
4. Ethylene inhibitor: Amino-oxyacetic acid , Silver
thiosulphate
5. Mineral salts : Aluminium sulphate, Silver nitrate
6. Organic acid : Citric acid , Benzoic acid
Preservatives are also available in tablets form.

25. Flower Senescence
Effect of ethylene action inhibitors on senescence of cut
carnation flowers
Control 1-MCP STS
+ Ethylene

26. 26
200 - 300Al2(SO4)3Aluminum sulphate
50 - 400SRCSlow release chlorine
5 - 300QASQuaternary ammonium salts
5 - 300TBZThiobendazole
0.2 – 4 mMSTSSilver thiosulphate
10 - 200AgNO3Silver nitrate
200 - 6008-HQC8-hydroxyquinoline citrate
200 - 6008-HQS8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate
Concentration
Range (ppm)
SymbolCompound Name
Germicides used as floral preservatives

27. GerberaCarnation
Gladiolous
Rose
Anthurium Chrysanthemum

28. ROSE
Stage of harvest :
Red and Pink: 1-2 petals unfold slightly
Yellow :Slightly earlier than red roses
White : Slightly later than red roses
Precooling : 4 0
C
Storage : Stored wet at 2-5
0
C for 5-7 days
dry at 0-1
0
C for 5-7 days
Vase life :4-7 days
Floral preservative: Al2(SO4)3 300ppm +
citric acid 300ppm increased vase life of
flowers

29. CHRYSANTHEMUM
Stage of Harvest : 1-2 rays of row
florets fully opened
Precooling: 2-4 0
C
Storage : Flowers can be stored dry
at-0.5 to 10C for 3-4 weeks.
Vase life: 10-15 days
Floral preservative : 8-HQS 150ppm
+50ppm Silver nitrate + 3% Sucrose

30. CARNATION
Stage of harvest: Flowers are harvested
at paint brush stage
Precooling temperature : 2-2.5 0
C
Storage:
stored dry for 8weeks at -0.5 - 0 0
C
wet for 2 weeks at 3-4 0
C
Vase life: 14-21 days
Floral preservatives: 0.4mM STS+ 50gL-
1sucrose

31. GERBERA
Stage of harvest : Outer
petals are fully opened
Precooling temperature : 2-4
0
C
Storage : Flowers stored dry at
2 0
C in moisture retentive boxes
for about two days or wet in
water at 4 0
Cfor 5-7 days
Vase life : 8-9 days
Floral preservative : AgNO3
20ppm + Sucrose 4%

32. ANTHURIUM
Stage of harvest : 1/3rd of flowers
on spadix open.
Precooling: 11-13 0
C
Storage: It can be stored in water at
13 0
C for 3-5 weeks
Vase life : 20-25 days.
Floral preservative: 8-Hydroxy
quinoline Sulphate 400ppm + sucrose
5%

33. GLADIOLUS
Stage of harvest : Basal 1-2
florets are just opened
Precooling temperature: 5-7
0
C
Storage: dry by wrapping in
moisture proof material for 14-
20 days at 3-40 C
Vase life : 7-12 days
Floral preservatives: Sucrose
2% + 88HQC 200ppm

34. 34
Floral Packaging
Boxes: Sturdy chipboard
floral boxes protect
bouquets.
Sleeves: Polypropylene
floral sleeves are ideal
for wrapping cut flowers.

35. 35
Gerbera

36. Packages
CORRUGATED FIBRE BOARD BOXES
PLASTIC PACKAGECARTOON PACKAGE

37. COLD STORAGE ROOMS

38. REFRIGERATED VANS FOR FLOWERS TRANSPORT

39. 39