effect of sucrose and benzyl adenine in the promotion of cut flower vase life in alpinia purpurata...

8/12/2019 Effect of Sucrose and Benzyl Adenine in the Promotion of Cut Flower Vase Life in Alpinia Purpurata Vieill., A Charm

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Effect of Sucrose and Benzyl Adenine in the promotion of cut flower vase

life inAlpinia purpurataVieill., a charming ornamental ginger

ABSTRACT:

Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata Vieill.) is an ornamental perennial herb

reaching 2 to 5 m in height and each tiller ending in a showy inflorescence. The main

attraction is the brightly coloured red bracts of the inflorescence which has a long

vase life. The present experiment was carried out to exploit the long vase life

property of these plants to the maximum and thereby add their value in cut flower

industry. The effect of various combinations of Sucrose + BA + 8-HQS was studied and

appropriate concentrations were standardized.

089-092 | JRPS | 2012 | Vol 1 | No 2

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www.plantsciences.info

Journal of Research in

Plant SciencesAn International Scientific

Research Journal

Authors:

Thomas VP, Prabhu

Kumar KM, Sabu M,

Prasanth AV and

Mohanan KV.

Institution:Department of Botany,

University of Calicut,

Kerala - 673635, India.

Corresponding author:

Thomas VP.

Email:[email protected].

Web Address:http://plantsciences.info/

documents/PS0030.pdf.

Dates:Received: 23 Apr 2012 Accepted: 14 May 2012 Published: 24 May 2012

Article Citation:

Thomas VP, Prabhu Kumar KM, Sabu M, Prasanth AV and Mohanan KV.

Effect of Sucrose and Benzyl Adenine in the promotion of cut flower vase life in

Alpinia purpurata Vieill., a charming ornamental ginger.

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092

Original Research

ournal of Research in Plant Sciences

JournalofResearch

in

PlantScienc

es

An International Scientific Research Journal


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INTRODUCTION

Alpinia is an economically important ornamental

ginger native to French Polynesia and other Pacific

Islands.A. purpurata starts to flower within 4-6 months

after planting. The inflorescences are harvested at

different stages of development such as bud stage, 1/3 of

the bracts opened, 2/3 of the bracts opened and full

bracts opened. Inflorescences are preferably harvested in

the early morning while still turgid and fresh are

available and if possible, the entire shoot is cut at the

time of harvesting because a longer stem increases both

the post harvest vase life of the inflorescence and its

demand as cutflower. The inflorescences are ideal also

for flower arrangements. The plant can be grown in potsor as hedge plant in gardens or as a cut flower crop. It is

a good foundation planting especially in front of blank

walls and near garden ponds. The plant can be cultivated

as an intercrop in arecanut and coconut groves, in rubber

plantations, etc. The inflorescences with differently

coloured bracts are the main attraction of the plant

(Prabhu Kumar et al., 2010).

MATERIALS AND METHODAlpinia purpurata inflorescences of same age (3

weeks) and same size were collected in the morning from

uniformly aged plants grown in the first cropping season

of 2008 in Calicut University Botanical Garden, Calicut,

Kerala. The cut ends of the inflorescences were dipped

in water immediately after the removal from mother

plant. Peduncle length of all the inflorescences was set to

13 cm length. The end of the peduncle was cut and the

peduncle length was adjusted under water just before

keeping them in uniform quantity of vase solutions kept

in transparent glass jars of uniform dimensions. The

inflorescences were maintained under uniform conditions

till they started symptoms of wilting, or drooping and

browning of the inflorescences due to the discoloration

of bracts. Details of the vase solutions used are given in

Table 1. The solutions were prepared using different

concentrations of Sucrose (1, 3, 5 and 10% and the plant

hormone Benzyl Adenine (BA) (1, 3, 5 and 10 mg/l). In

all the combinations, 200 mg/l of 8-hydroxy quinolinesulphate (8-HQS) was added. In all the cases 100 ml of

vase solutions were taken in 200 ml transparent vases

and all the experiments were carried out in laboratory

with 2930C temperature. The inflorescences were

sprayed with distilled water every day using a hand

sprayer.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Sucrose and BA in combination with 8 HQSinduces prolonged vase life in Alpinia purpurata. A

maximum vase life of 18-20 days was observed in the

solution with 5 % sucrose and 3 mg/l BA (Table 1 and

Fig. 1) and minimum vase life in the case of distilled

water with 8 HQS (5-8 days). Distilled water without

Thomaset al., 2012

090 Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092

Fig 1 Red ginger A. Vase life experiments B. Bouquet preparation


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HQS gave a vase life of 9-11 days. The main changes

observed at the end of vase life were discolouration of

bracts, flower blooming, drying up of bracts, shrinkage

of peduncle, fungal attack, etc.

Quinoline salts are known to be acidifying as

well as fungistatic, inhibiting many fungi and bacteria

(Satoh, 2005). Cutting stem from the mother plant

removes the sources of nutrients, photosynthate,

hormones and water. Supply of sugars to cut flowers

promotes bud opening and retards flower senescence

(Doi & Reid, 1995). Sucrose delays petal sensitivity to

ethylene, which delays the onset of climacteric ethylene

production and senescence (Mayak & Dilley, 1976).

Sucrose treatment increases longevity of individual

florets by increasing the pool of respiratory substrate

(Halevy & Mayak, 1979). However, higher concentration

of sucrose promoted the profuse growth of fungal

elements.

CONCLUSION

An extension of vase life of 9-10 days is

achieved in A. purpurata through a combination of

sucrose, BA and 8-HQS. The combination of vase

solution with 5 % sucrose, 3 mg/l BA and 200 mg/l 8-

hydroxy quinoline sulphate is found to be the most

suitable for red ginger.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors are grateful to Department of

Biotechnology, New Delhi, Govt. of India for the

financial assistance to the research project Potential

Ornamental Gingers: Domestication, Improvement and

Development of Agrotechniques (BT/PR6735/

PBD/16/605/2005 dtd. 29.09.2006).

REFERENCES

Mayak S and Dilley DR. 1976. Effect of sucrose on

response of cut carnation to kinetin, ethylene, and

abscisic acid.J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci.,101:583-585.

Doi M and Reid MS. 1995. Sucrose Improves the

Pstharvest Life of Cut flowers of a Hybrid Limonium.

Hort Science.30(5):1058-1060.

Thomas et al., 2012

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092 091

Table 1. Observation onvase life experiments in

Alpinia purpurata

TreatmentsNumber of days

of vase life

T1 1 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 14.0 1.00

T2 3 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 13.0 0.50

T3 5 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 15.0 0.50

T4 1 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 13.0 0.50

T5 3 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 13.5 0.50

T6 5 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 19.0 1.00

T7 1 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 13.5 0.50

T8 3 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 13.0 1.00

T9 5 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 16.5 1.50

T10 1 % Sucrose + 10 mg / l BA 10.0 1.00

T11 3 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 14.0 0.50

T12 5 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 15.5 0.50

T13 10 % Sucrose + 1 mg / l BA 13.0 1.00

T14 10 % Sucrose + 3 mg / l BA 15.0 2.00

T15 10 % Sucrose + 5 mg / l BA 09.0 0.50

T16 10 % Sucrose + 10 mg / l

BA15.0 1.00

T17 distilled water + 8 HQS 07.0 1.00

T18 distilled water (control) 10.0 1.00

All combinations supplemented with 200 mg/l8 HQS

Numberofdays

Treatments

Fig 2 Vaselife Experiment inAlpinia purpurata


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Halevy AH and Mayak S. 1979. Senescence and

postharvest physiology of cut flowers. Part 1.Hort. Rev.,

1:204-236.

Prabhu Kumar KM, Sabu M, Thomas VP, Nimisha

G and Mohanan KV. 2010.Red Ginger: A Promising

Crop for Floriculturists.Plant Hortitech10(1):40-43.

Satoh S, Nukui H and Inokuma T. 2005.A method for

determining the vase life of cut spray carnation flowers.

J. Appl. Hort., 7(1):8-10.

Thomas et al., 2012

092 Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 089-092

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