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New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstractsVase life of Stilbocarpa polaris flowers and foliageA. C. EvansNew Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
G. K. BurgeNew Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
Abstract The vase life of inflorescences and leaves of the large, subantarctic perennial herb, Stilbocarpa polaris (Homb. et Jacq.) was assessed in a series of seven experiments. Postharvest treatments of inflorescences included the biocides sodium hypochlorite, citric acid, and 8-hydroxyquinoline sulphate (HQS), the growth regulators benzyl aminopurine (BAP) and gibberellic acid (GA3), pulsing in sucrose solutions, cool storage, and commercial preservatives. Leaves were treated with BAP, GA3, and HQS and commercial transport and storage conditions were simulated in a factorial experiment with two levels each of storage temperature, hydration temperature, and storage period. The only postharvest treatment that significantly enhanced vase life of inflorescences and leaves was cool storage. Water uptake did not decline significantly for inflorescences or leaves by the time vase life had ended. Inflorescence vase-life was too short and variable to have commercial potential, but the vase life of leaves was 24–30 days. This reduced to 16 days for those stored at 20°C for 5 days, at both 5 and 20°C hydration temperatures. All the leaves died with longer (15 days) storage at 20°C, whereas those cool stored (5°C) lasted 18–21 days regardless of hydration temperature. Keywords Stilbocarpa polaris; vase life; inflorescence; cut foliage H01057 Received 7 December 2001; accepted 17 December 2001
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