New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Postharvest characteristics of Hebe ‘Wiri Desire’

G. K. Burge
E. R. Morgan
M. C. Debenham
J. F. Seelye
A. R. G. McLachlan

New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Limited
Private Bag 11 600
Palmerston North, New Zealand
email: burgeg@crop.cri.nz

Abstract Hebe ‘Wiri Desire’ has racemes with c. 200 crimson flowers. This study of postharvest characteristics used cut stems, each with two racemes. Flower buds continued to open on stems cut just before first flower opening. Nearly all buds opened within 4 days of harvest. Flowers opened on racemes with less mature buds, 7 days later than on stems with mature buds about to open. Flowers started to fade c. 8 days after harvest, but 2% or 4% sucrose vase-solution greatly reduced fading. Ethylene only slightly increased flower fading. Flower drop in controls was only 1.2–2.4 flowers/stem. Ethylene (9 µl/litre) greatly increased flower drop during the 24 h treatment and in the subsequent 24 h. Silver thiosulphate (STS) pulse treatments before ethylene treatment prevented ethylene-induced flower drop. Hebe could be developed as a cut flower with STS postharvest pulse treatments and sucrose vase-solution or pulse treatments.

Keywords Hebe; postharvest; floret abscission; ethylene; sucrose; silver thiosulphate

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2007, Vol. 35: 449–454
0014–0671/07/3504–0449      © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007
H07016; Online publication date 12 December 2007
Received 26 February 2007; accepted 18 October 2007

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