Annex White book.pdf

up the soil in different locations in order to examine the bulbs and seeif they have grown sprouts. When sprouts appear on the surface of thefurrows, flowering begins within the following 6 – 7 days.In Sardinia, in order to plan harvest, especially during full floweringseason, cultivators predict flowering by observing the plant one daybefore, and are focused mostly on the peduncle during the pre-emersionphase.A1.3.8.4Flower harvesting methodsA1.3.8.4.1 Harvesting by handTraditionally, in Castile-La Mancha, flower harvesting is a task performedby hand. The flowers are cut at the foot of the crown and putinto narrow baskets (in order to avoid crushing) (Pic. 5). In addition tohard weather conditions the uncomfortable body position adapted bythe workers makes such task difficult.Harvest efficiency varies and depends on human factors, cultivationand weather conditions. Galigani and Garbati (1999) estimate a dailyyield of 8 to 16 kg of flowers per person. According to information gatheredfrom various Spanish cultivators, daily yield is estimated at 14 to18 kg of flowers per person in 5 or 6 working hours.In Western Macedonia, flower harvesting takes place every day between09:00 and 17:00 hours. The flowers are cut off cautiously at thefoot of the petals. This task is carried out by hand, and only when theflower is completely open.110