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Agriculture 2011
Figure 4: Effect of the harvest stage of two-floret stems of ‘White
Heaven’ lily following air (A, B, C) or sea (D, E, F) transport
simulations, on days to flower opening of florets 1 and 2 (A, D), days
from flower opening to death of floret 2 (B, E), and on total vase life
duration determined when floret 2 reached senescence stage 8 (C,
F). Flowers were harvested when their first floret reached the stages
presented in Fig. 4G. The experiment was performed as detailed in
Figure 2. The results represent means of 5 replicates ± SE.
the first floret bud, which was shorter (by 1-1.5 days)
following sea transport (Figure 2D) as compared with air
transport (Figure 2A). Thus, the first floret, harvested at
stages 3, 2 or 1, opened after 3, 5 or 8 days, respectively,
following air transport (Figure 2A), and after 1.5, 3.5 or
7 days, respectively, following sea transport (Figure 2D).
These results indicate that the floret bud continues to
grow and to develop during the sea transport period,
even though it is kept at 2°C.
The total vase life duration monitored for flowering
stems harvested when the first floret was at stage 3,
was only one day shorter following sea transport (Figure
2F), as compared with flowers shipped by air (Figure 2C).
This difference stems from the shorter time (one day)
required for the opening of the second floret harvested at
stage 3 and transported by sea (Figure 2D), as compared
12
to flowers transported by air (Figure 2A). Similar results
were obtained in two additional experiments, performed
with ‘Maggie Blanche’ flowers harvested from another
grower, as well as with ‘White Heaven’ flowers bearing
two florets per stem (data not shown).
It should be noted that the floret size at full opening was
affected from the harvest stage following air transport
(Figure 3), and similar results were obtain also following
sea transport (data not shown). When flowers were
harvested with florets at stage 2 or 3, no difference was
obtained in their diameter. However, florets harvested at
stage 1 (even if it is the first floret), could not reach at full
opening the diameter (Figure 3A) or the length (Figure
3B) of florets harvested at stages 2 or 3. Similar results
were obtained also for the third floret in flowering stems
harvested with the first floret at stages 2 or 3, as the
size of the third floret in these flowers was smaller or
similar to the size of a floret in stage 1. It is important
to note that inclusion in the vase of the ‘cut flower
food’ solution, which contains sugar and bacteriocides,
resulted in a third floret with bigger size, similar to the
sizes of the first and second florets (data not shown).
Since the florets continue to grow during the sea
transport shipment, we have determined an additional
parameter to indicate the floret developmental stage at
harvest, which was based on the change in bud color
(Figure 4G), in addition to the bud length. To examine
this parameter, we have performed an experiment with
‘Maggie Blanche’ flowers harvested according to floret
size and color. The results show that no difference was
obtained in the various quality parameters between
flowering stems transported by air (Figures 4A-4C) or by
sea (Figures 4D-4F), when harvested at stage 3 (Figure
4G).
The presented findings indicate that cut Easter lily
flowers can be shipped successfully by sea freight from
Israel to The Netherland, without impairing their quality
as compared to air transport, provided that the flowers
are harvested at the optimal harvest stage and a cooling
chain at 2°C is maintained during the pathway. Therefore,
the recommended harvest stage for sea transport of
Easter lily is the stage of initial puffing of the first floret,
when it reaches a length of at least 11 cm and its color is
still green, or has only just begun to turn white.
shimonm@volcani.agri.gov.il
1*. Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Agricultural
Research Organization (ARO), The Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan, ISRAEL;
2*. Extension Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,
ISRAEL
Contribution No. 593/10 from the ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan,
Israel.