EVALUATION OF ETHYLENE INHIBITORS TO EXTEND THE VASE LIFE OF Gardenia jasminoides Ellis

Abstract

Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) is an ornamental plant highly appreciated for its fragrance and coloration; however, one of its disadvantages during its commercialization is its short post-harvest life marked by a change in the flower coloration. The action inhibition of ethylene has been taken advantage of as a strategy to extend the vase life of some ornamental plants, and thus, the application of two ethylene inhibitors was evaluated, with the purpose of extending the vase life of gardenia. The inhibitors were applied for 4, 12 and 24 h in flowers cut in different stages of development. As parameters of senescence the following were evaluated: fresh weight, color of petals, flower longevity, flower epinasty,
and application of 1-MCP. The results showed that the 1-MCP delayed the senescence when applied on flowers in the phase known as “striped” during 24 h, increasing the life of the vase almost two days.