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291
*
Corresponding author : harishhassan92@gmail.com
Date of receipt: 19.04.2020, Date of acceptance: 30.04.2021
Agric Res J 58 (2) : 291-296, April 2021
DOI No. 10.5958/2395-146X.2021.00042.9
Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum Lind.) is a
herbaceous perennial ornamental plant and
belongs to family Araceae. It is native to tropical zones
of Central and South America. The name Anthurium
is derived from the Greek words, ‘anthos’ meaning
ower and ‘aura’ meaning tail, referring to the spadix.
Anthuriums are gaining popularity due to higher returns
per unit area from their beautiful and attractive long
lasting owers and their attractive foliage (Harish,
2012). Anthurium ranks ninth in global ower trade with
respect to price both for its cut ower and whole plant.
Anthurium is next only to orchids amongst the tropical
owers. Presently, the Netherlands is the world’s
leading producer and exporter followed by Mauritius
and Hawaii in USA. Germany is the largest importer of
Dutch anthuriums, followed by Italy and France (Islam
et al., 2013).
In India, Anthurium cultivation has been taken up in
the coastal belts of South India and North-eastern hilly
regions. It is grown in the coee belts of Coorg district
in Karnataka. Some of the varieties grown in world are
Tropical, Midori, Acropolis, Pistache, Choco, Cheers,
Fantasia, Champagne, Carnaval, Samba, etc. There is a
great demand for Anthurium owers, but the production
lags behind the demand. The longevity of cut owers is
inuenced by several factors of which genetic makeup
of the plant is very important. However, the stage of
harvest, method of handling, transportation, packaging
methods and storage condition can also inuence the
longevity of owers signicantly. About 30 to 70 per
cent of potential losses in quality are predetermined at
harvest. Commercially anthurium blooms are harvested
when 3/4 of spadix showed colour change. Since,
the cut owers are severed from the parent plant,
the continuity of water column from roots to ower is
disrupted this results in the wilting and early start of
senescence. Hence, water relations play a dominant
role in the postharvest physiology of cut owers (Halevy
and Mayak, 1974).
Use of oral preservatives at all stages of ower
handling and marketing is known to improve the ower
quality and results in better consumer acceptability.
Floral preservatives usually contain water to maintain
turgidity, sugar to serve as an energy source and a
biocide to inhibit the growth of microorganisms by
directly or indirectly acidifying the pH of the vase
solution. Under natural conditions, anthurium owers
stay fresh without much deterioration for a period
of about 10-12 days (Agampodi and Jayawardena,
2007). Use of preservatives extends the vase life of cut
anthurium owers. The available literature indicates the
scanty research work on keeping quality of anthurium
in the country. In this context, present investigation was
carried out to study the eect of organic preservatives
on vase life of anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum Lind.)
cv. Tropical.
VASE LIFE STUDIES IN CUT FLOWERS OF ANTHURIUM (Anthurium
andraeanum Lind.) CV. TROPICAL AS INFLUENCED BY ORGANIC
PRESERVATIVES
Roopa R A, Chandrashekar S Y and Harishkumar K*
College of Horticulture, Mudigere - 577132, Chikmagalur, Karnataka
ABSTRACT
The present investigation was carried out to standardize organic preservative solutions for extending
the vase life of Anthurium cv. Tropical, in the Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture,
College of Horticulture, Mudigere , Karnataka, India. The owers were kept in a vase with 5 per cent
sucrose and along with two levels of coconut water and extracts of turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion,
lime juice and corn juice. The experiment was conducted in a Completely Randomized Design with 16
treatments holding solutions and replicated thrice. The Anthurium cut owers held in solution of 5 per
cent sucrose + ginger extract @ 5 per cent recorded maximum uptake of water (4.33g/day), cumulative
water uptake (34.00g), water loss (5.33g/day), cumulative water loss (45.00g) and water balance (1.33g/
day). However, the same treatment recorded minimum physiological loss in weight (11.00g) and
microbial load (1.75 and 2.00). Holding of Anthurium cut owers in 5 per cent sucrose + ginger extract
@ 5 per cent extended the days taken for loss of spathe glossiness, spathe discoloration and spadix
discoloration (17.33, 19.00 and 22.33 days, respectively) and recorded maximum vase life of 17.33
days as compared to control (11.67 days).
Keywords: Ginger extract, Organic preservatives, Sucrose, turmeric extract, Vase life
292
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present investigation was carried out to
standardize organic preservative solutions for
extending the vase life of anthurium, at the Department
of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, College of
Horticulture, Mudigere (under University of Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga). The owers
were harvested when 3/4 of spadix showed colour
change. Immediately after harvesting, the owers were
pre-cooled by dipping the basal portions of the stalks
in a bucket containing water followed by plugging
with cotton containing water and brought immediately
to the laboratory for imposing the treatments. The
owers were kept in a vase with 5 per cent sucrose
and along with two levels of coconut water and extracts
of turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion, lime juice and corn
juice. The experiment was conducted in a Completely
Randomized Design with 16 treatments holding
solutions and replicated thrice. For preparation of
extracts of turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, lime juice and
corn juice, each of these were taken in the quantity of
50 g or ml then crushed (except lime juice) and diluted
with 200 ml of distilled water. From diluted solutions,
50 and 100 ml were taken out separately after ltration
for preparation of required concentrations of 5 and 10
per cent respectively. Holding solutions of 5 and 10 per
cent concentrations were prepared by dissolving 50 ml
and 100 ml of turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, lime juice
and corn juice extracts separately in a small quantity
of water and nal volume made up to one liter using
distilled water. Coconut water of the concentration 40
and 50 per cent was prepared by dissolving 400 ml and
500 ml of coconut water in a small quantity of water and
nal volume made up to one liter using distilled water.
Various organic preservatives used during the
experiment were T1 (Control), T2 (5% sucrose), T3 (5%
sucrose + coconut water @ 40%), T4 (5% sucrose +
coconut water @ 50%), T5 (5% sucrose + turmeric
extract @ 5%), T6 (5% sucrose + turmeric extract @
10%), T7 (5% sucrose + ginger extract @ 5%), T8 (5%
sucrose + ginger extract @ 10%), T9 (5% sucrose +
onion extract @ 5%), T10 (5% sucrose + onion extract
@ 10%), T11 (5% sucrose + garlic extract @ 5%), T12
(5% sucrose + garlic extract @ 10%), T13 (5% sucrose
+ lime juice extract @ 5%), T14 (5% sucrose + lime juice
extract @ 10%), T15 (5% sucrose + corn juice extract @
5%) and T16 (5% sucrose + corn juice extract @ 10%).
In all the treatments, owers were kept in vase solutions
continuously till all the parts of the ower showed wilting
symptoms.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results on water relations and vase life of
anthurium cut owers are signicantly inuenced by
holding solutions containing dierent concentrations of
organic preservatives (Table 1 and 2). The cut owers
kept in vase solution including 5 per cent sucrose
+ ginger extract @ 5 per cent (T7) maintained higher
water uptake, cumulative water uptake, water loss
and cumulative water loss throughout the period of
experiment which reached maximum 4.33 g/day on
7th day, 34.00 g, 5.33 g/day on 5th day and 45.00g,
respectively and minimum water uptake, cumulative
water uptake, water loss and cumulative water loss
(0.33 g/day on 16th day, 18.00g, 0.33 g/day on 16th
day and 24.00g, respectively) was observed in control
(T1). The anti-microbial eect of 5 per cent sucrose +
ginger extract @ 5 per cent (T7) recorded maximum
water uptake per, cumulative water uptake, water loss
and cumulative water loss and these might be due to
energy supplied and lower microbial load in the treated
solution. The blockage of the ower stem is reduced
in treated solution with lower microbial load. The
anthurium owers treated with distilled water recorded
minimum water relations and these might be due to
increased blockage of the ower stem in control with
higher microbial load. The similar results were found by
Paramasivam et al. (2007), Sebiomo et al. (2011), Auta
et al. (2011) and Humayun et al. (2015).
Water balance is recognized as one of the major
factors which determine the fresh weight, quality and
longevity of cut owers. The cut owers treated with
5 per cent sucrose + ginger extract @ 5 per cent (T7)
showed maximum water balance (1.33g/day) on 7th
day of the treatment and minimum water balance
(-5.00 g/day) was observed in control (T1) on 3rd day
of the treatment. The anti-microbial eect of ginger
which leads to the maximum water balance in cut
owers of anthurium has been reported previously by
Paramasivam et al. (2007), Sebiomo et al. (2011), Auta
et al. (2011) and Humayun et al. (2015). The cut owers
treated with 5 per cent sucrose + ginger extract @ 5
per cent showed high water balance per day and this
might be due to lower microbial load in treated solution
resulting in higher water uptake over transpiration loss
of water by decreasing the resistance to water ow
and improving the water balance and osmotic potential
by maintaining the turgidity of the cells. The minimum
water balance in control owers could be attributed to
the increased microbial load and high transpiration loss
of water over water uptake.
The longevity of cut owers is related to
maintenance of fresh weight and on the rate of reduction
of fresh weight. The anthurium owers treated with
organic extracts maintained lower physiological loss in
weight as compared to the anthurium owers treated
with distilled water. The anthurium owers treated in
5 per cent sucrose + ginger extract @ 5 percent (T7)
recorded minimum (11.00 g) physiological loss in
293
Table 1. Eect of sucrose and organic preservatives in vase solution on water relation and microbial load of anthurium
cv. Tropical
TreatmentWater uptake (g/
day)
CWU
(g)
Water loss (g/
day)
CWL
(g)
Water balance
(g/day)
PLW
(g)
Microbial load
(×10-6 CFU)
7
(DAT)
16
(DAT)
5
(DAT)
16
(DAT)
3
(DAT)
7
(DAT)
12th
day
On
termination
day
T11.00 0.33 18.00 1.00 0.33 24.00 -5.00 -1.67 21.67 6.33 7.33
T21.67 0.67 28.00 2.00 1.33 26.33 -1.00 -1.67 13.33 6.08 6.67
T31.67 0.67 27.33 2.00 1.33 32.00 -2.00 -3.00 17.33 3.00 3.25
T41.67 0.67 25.00 1.67 1.33 31.67 -2.67 -1.33 18.67 4.33 5.67
T51.00 0.67 22.00 1.67 1.33 29.67 -2.33 -2.67 20.00 3.50 4.17
T61.00 0.67 26.67 1.33 1.67 29.67 -2.67 -2.33 21.00 5.67 4.58
T74.33 1.00 34.00 5.33 3.33 45.00 0.00 1.33 11.00 1.75 2.00
T81.00 0.67 21.33 1.67 1.33 30.33 -2.67 -2.67 18.00 6.17 6.42
T91.33 0.67 22.00 1.67 1.33 26.67 -1.00 -1.33 18.00 4.83 6.17
T10 1.00 0.67 19.67 1.33 1.67 24.67 -1.00 -1.00 16.33 4.33 5.42
T11 1.00 0.67 21.33 2.00 1.00 28.33 -2.00 -2.33 19.33 5.08 5.75
T12 1.33 0.67 24.33 1.33 1.00 27.00 -2.67 -2.33 21.34 4.50 5.42
T13 2.00 0.67 30.00 1.67 1.33 32.33 -1.00 -2.33 19.00 2.00 2.50
T14 2.00 0.67 22.00 1.33 1.00 27.33 -4.00 -1.67 17.67 4.58 5.67
T15 1.67 0.67 26.67 0.67 1.67 29.67 -2.33 -2.33 14.33 4.17 5.33
T16 1.33 0.67 26.67 1.00 1.33 28.00 -3.33 -1.00 17.00 4.00 4.17
DAT-Days after treatment, CWU- Cumulative water uptake, CWL- Cumulative water loss and PLW- Physiological loss in weight.
T1- Control (distilled water) T9-5% Sucrose + onion extract @ 5%
T2- 5% Sucrose T10-5% Sucrose + onion extract @ 10%
T3-5% Sucrose + coconut water @ 40% T11-5% Sucrose + garlic extract @ 5%
T4-5% Sucrose + coconut water @ 50% T12-5% Sucrose + garlic extract @ 10%
T5-5% Sucrose + turmeric extract @ 5% T13- 5% Sucrose + lime juice extract @ 5%
T6-5% Sucrose + turmeric extract @ 10% T14-5% Sucrose + lime juice extract @ 10%
T7-5% Sucrose + ginger extract @ 5% T15-5% Sucrose + corn juice extract @ 5%
T8-5% Sucrose + ginger extract @ 10% T16-5% Sucrose + corn juice extract @ 10%
weight and the anthurium owers treated with distilled
water (T1) recorded maximum (21.67 g) physiological
loss in weight. The anthurium owers treated with
distilled water recorded maximum physiological loss
in weight and this might be due to lower water uptake
and cumulative water uptake with increased microbial
load in control. The antimicrobial eect of ginger which
leads to the more decline in loss of fresh weight in cut
owers of anthurium has been reported previously by
Paramasivam et al. (2007), Sebiomo et al. (2011), Auta
et al. (2011) and Humayun et al. (2015).
The microbial load (count) was minimum (1.75 and
2.00) in the organic solution of 5 per cent sucrose +
ginger extract @ 5 per cent (T7) and this might be due
to antimicrobial eect of ginger extract at an optimum
concentration of 5 per cent. The maximum (6.33 and
7.33) microbial load was in control which might be
due to increased microbial growth in the absence
of preservatives which have antimicrobial property.
The antimicrobial eect of ginger which leads to the
minimum microbial growth in treated solution of cut
owers of anthurium has been reported previously by
Paramasivam et al. (2007), Sebiomo et al. (2011) and
Humayun et al. (2015).
Table 2 shows the period taken for initiation of
symptoms of senescence. Delaying of senescence
depends on maintenance of fresh weight which
ultimately depends on maintenance of water uptake.
The anthurium cut owers treated with 5 per cent
sucrose along with ginger extract @ 5 per cent (T7)
resulted in increased days taken for loss of their
glossiness in spathe, spathe and spadix discolouration
294
Table 2. Eect of sucrose and organic preservatives on period of initiation of symptoms of senescence and vase life in
cut owers of anthurium cv. Tropical
Treatment Loss of spathe
Glossiness (days)
Spathe discoloration
(or blueing) (days)
Spadix discoloration
(or browning) (days)
Vase life (days)
T111.67 14.00 15.67 11.67
T213..3 15.00 21.67 13.33
T315.33 17.33 20.67 15.33
T415.00 17.00 19.33 15.00
T514.33 16.67 19.00 14.33
T614.33 16.00 20.67 14.33
T717.33 19.00 22.33 17.33
T814.00 16.67 17.33 14.00
T913.67 15.33 18.33 13.67
T10 14.00 17.00 20.33 14.00
T11 15.00 17.67 20.00 15.00
T12 13.67 15.67 19.00 13.67
T13 16.00 18.33 21.33 16.00
T14 13.00 15.33 19.67 13.00
T15 14.00 15.33 20.67 14.00
T16 12.67 14.67 17.33 12.67
Treatment details
T1- Control (distilled water) T9-5% Sucrose + onion extract @ 5%
T2- 5% Sucrose T10-5% Sucrose + onion extract @ 10%
T3-5% Sucrose + coconut water @ 40% T11-5% Sucrose + garlic extract @ 5%
T4-5% Sucrose + coconut water @ 50% T12-5% Sucrose + garlic extract @ 10%
T5-5% Sucrose + turmeric extract @ 5% T13- 5% Sucrose + lime juice extract @ 5%
T6-5% Sucrose + turmeric extract @ 10% T14-5% Sucrose + lime juice extract @ 10%
T7-5% Sucrose + ginger extract @ 5% T15-5% Sucrose + corn juice extract @ 5%
T8-5% Sucrose + ginger extract @ 10% T16-5% Sucrose + corn juice extract @ 10%
(17.33 days, 19.00 days and 22.33days, respectively)
and this might be due to lower microbial load in the
treated solution that can prevent the stem plugging and
increase the uptake of water and ultimately delay the
onset of ower senescence. The anthurium cut owers
lost their glossiness in spathe and spadix discolouration
observed at rst in the cut owers of control (11.67
days, 14.00 days and 15.67 days, respectively) and this
might be due to higher microbial load in control that can
increase the stem plugging and decrease the uptake of
water resulted in insucient supply of food leading to
the death of the cells. The antimicrobial eect of ginger
which leads to the maximum days taken for loss of
glossiness in spathe and spadix discolouration in cut
owers of anthurium has been reported previously by
Paramasivam et al. (2007), Sebiomo et al. (2011), Auta
et al. (2011) and Humayun et al. (2015).
Vase life of anthurium cut owers varied signicantly
after treating with sucrose and organic preservatives.
The vase life was maximum (17.33 days) in owers held
in solution having 5 per cent sucrose + ginger extract @
5 per cent (T7) and this might be due to increased days
taken for loss of spathe glossiness, spathe and spadix
discolouration which in turn extended the vase life of
treated anthurium cut owers with reduced and delayed
ethylene production. Control (T1) recorded minimum
vase life (11.67 days) and this might be due to decreased
days taken for loss of spathe glossiness, spathe and
spadix discolouration which in turn reduced the vase
life of treated anthurium cut owers. The antimicrobial
eect of ginger which leads to the increased vase life in
cut owers of anthurium has been reported previously
by Paramasivam et al. (2007), Sebiomo et al. (2011),
Auta et al. (2011) and Humayun et al. (2015).
From the whole study, it could be concluded that
anthurium cut owers held in solution of 5 per cent
295
sucrose + ginger exract @ 5 per cent recorded maximum
uptake of water, water loss, water balance, vase life and
extended the days taken for loss of spathe glossiness,
spathe discolouration and spadix discolouration.
Holding of anthurium cut owers in 5 per cent sucrose
+ ginger exract @ 5 per cent recorded a vase life of
17.33 days and also recorded lowest microbial load and
physiological loss in weight. The owers held in control
had vase life of 11.67 days.
Authors’ contribution
Conceptualization and designing of the research
work (RRA, CSY); Execution of eld/lab experiments
and data collection (RRA, CSY); Analysis of data and
interpretation (RRA, CSY, HK) and Preparation of
manuscript (RRA, CSY, HK).
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Fig. 1. Eect of sucrose and organic preservatives on CWU, CWL and PLW of anthurium cut owers cv. Tropical
Fig. 2. Eect of sucrose and organic preservatives on loss of spathe glossiness, spathe discoloration, spadix
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296
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