Study on prolongation of vase life and postharvest physiology of patumma (Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep.) flowers

Study of prolongation of vase life and postharvest physiology of cut 'Chiang Mai' patumma flowers was carried out. The results showed that the optimum stage for cutting patumma flowers was when 2-6 florets were cumulatively opened. The prominent indication for the termination of vase life was the brown of the tip of coma bract or bract. Stem of cut patumma flowers withered while holding in distilled water and preservative solution. Floral buds had higher rates of respiration and ethylene production than open florets. The respiration and the ethylene production of open florets increased as they approached senescence. Open florets was more sensitive to exogenous ethylene than coma bract and bract. Preservative solutions containing 2, 4, 6 and 8 percent sucrose or glucose 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg/l HQS, 50, 100 and 150 mg/l DICA, 100, 150 and 200 mg/l CoCl2, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg/l Na-BZ, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mM AOA, 50, 100 and 150 mg/l GA3, 10, 20 and 30 mg/l BA, 15, 25 mg/l HQS with 1 or 2 percent sucrose, 150, 200 mg/l DICA with 1 or 2 percent sucrose, 25, 35 mg/l of Na-BZ with 1 or 2 percent sucrose and 50, 100, 150 mg/l GA3 with 0.5 or 1 percent sucrose were tested to prolong vase life of cut patumma flowers. All tested preservative solutions did not significantly increase vase life of cut patumma flowers. Moreover, most of them reduced the vase life. Preservative solution containing GA3 did not affect the vase life. However, the flower stems held in GA3 solution did not wither. Cut patumma flowers with water-moistened cotton at stem end were stored at 5, 7, 10, and 13 deg C. Storage life of cut patumma flowers was longest at 13 deg C while shortest at 5 deg C. Cut patumma flowers stored at 7 deg C had the longest vase life. Cut patumma flowers with and without holding stem end in distilled water or 50 mg/l GA3 for 6 h were wetpacked with water- or GA3 -moistened cotton, then placed them into carton boxes with and without ethylene absorbent (EA). They were transported from Chiang Mai to Nakhonpathom by air-conditioned bus. The result showed that the inclusion of EA in carton boxes and GA3 solution in wet pack had no significant effect on vase life of cut patumma flowers but those with holding stem end in distilled water before shipment had a longer vase life than those without holding stem end in distilled water.