Studies of post harvest treatment ameliorating bent neck in Roses

1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 07660033
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 園芸・造園学
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: OHKAWA Kiyoshi Shizuoka University, Dept.of Biological Science, Professor, 農学部, 教授 (60185204)
• Project Period (FY): 1995 – 1996
• Keywords: Bent Neck / Preservative / Rose / RNA-Ag / STS / bacteria

Research Abstract

Cut rose flowers commonly undergo rapid senescence, typically exhibiting bent neck, which creates customer's dissatisfaction and tends to curb commercial consumption. The vase life of cut roses is often very short because of bent neck, the bending of the stem just below the flower, and is thought to be caused by the existence of bacteria at cut end blocking water uptake.
A post harvest preservative 'MEI-UP', consisting of RNA-Ag (RNA digradation products and silver nitrate in composition), trishydroxymethylaminomethane and citric acid, was found to provide a good water balance to cut rose preventing bent neck. It was found that the RNA-Ag inhibited bacteria and prevented bent neck. Efficacy of MEI-UP on bent neck was maintained after 10 centimeter recut of the stem MEI-UP treatment, although 20 centimeter recut abolished its effect. It is because that RNA-Ag had limited mobility in the syem and inhibited bacteria at the cut end and lower part of the stem.