Postharvest physiology of Curcuma alismatifolia flowers
Introduction
Curcuma alismatifolia, also known as the Siam tulip, is native to South-East Asia. It is used as a bedding plant in tropical countries, as a pot plant throughout the world, and as a cut flower. A flowering stem of this species is reminiscent, at least at some distance, to a group of flowering tulips.
Curcuma alismatifolia flowering stems have several apical bracts, which form cup-like structures (Fig. 1). Most basal bracts are green, but the more distal ones, more numerous than the green ones, are pink in native C. alismatifolia, and in some cultivars such as cv. Chiang Mai Pink. The coloured bracts mainly determine the attractiveness of the flowering stem. Both types of bracts bear small axillary flower buds. Open flowers are small and have little colour except the, mostly blue, flag petal (Fig. 1).
No data have apparently been reported on the postharvest physiology of cut flowering stems of C. alismatifolia. We investigated the optimum developmental stage for harvest, the water relations of the flower, the effect of exogenous ethylene, and the effect of various chemicals in the vase solution. We tested the hypotheses that bract browning is due (a) to adverse water relations and (b) to lack of sugars. In cut flowers whose life is limited by adverse water relations, the use of adequate antimicrobial compounds in the vase solution often delays the time to wilting (van Doorn, 1997). Cut Protea flowers often show precocious leaf blackening, which has been related to lack of carbohydrates; high light levels and sugar feeding delayed the blackening (Jones et al., 1995). We therefore investigated if sugar feeding had any effect on Curcurma bract browning.
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Plant material
Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep., cv. Chiang Mai Pink, were grown in the open next to the laboratory near Nakhon Pathom (Western Thailand). Bulbs were planted at the beginning of April and started to produce flowers about one month later. The soil was a loamy clay, fertilized with a recommended dose of NPK 15-15-15 prior to the experiment. The soil was watered to saturation once every 2 days, starting after planting of the bulbs and ending in June, when the rainy season began. During this season
Length of vase life; effect of harvest date
The coloured (pink) flower bracts determine the aesthetics and the length of vase life of flowering Cucurma alismatifolia stems. Browning at the distal bract margins limited the length of vase life. The vase life of freshly cut stems, as a function of harvest date, was studied for three consecutive years. It was about 20 days throughout the period of May to July. By early August the vase life dropped to about 17 days and by the end of August it further decreased to about 14 days.
Rate of respiration of flowers and pink bracts
We tested the
Discussion
The Zingiberaceae family contains several attractive cut flowers, such as red and pink ginger (Alpinia purpurata) and beehive ginger (Zingiber spectabile). The postharvest physiology of these flowers has not been investigated in much detail. The end of vase life of Alpinia purpurata is partially determined by browning in the middle of the bracts (Jaroenkit and Paull, 2003). Holding the flowering stems in a solution containing sucrose plus 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate increased their vase life (
Acknowledgements
The research was financially supported by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF).
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