How to avoid ethylene damage in spray carnation
The spray carnation is, like the regular carnation, very sensitive to the aging hormone ethylene. When the flower is exposed to it the flowers will shrink. Other types of flowers often experience dropping of buds, flowers and/or leaves. This decreases the life expectancy to a maximum of 1 week after harvest. And since the distribution and sales period for cut flowers is often a week, waste will be very high for the consumer at home.
Types of ethylene
In principal there are two types of ethylene:
- Internal: the internal production of the cut flower itself. As a response to cutting, the normal process of aging is accelerated by a higher production of internal ethylene. This is in order to go through all developmental stages more quickly before the flower wilts. After all, the flower’s job is to attract insects in order to be fertilized and in this way ensure the continuation of the species.
- External: exhaust fumes, industrial smoke, tobacco smoke, vegetable fruits (tomatoes), fruit and micro-organisms are some of the sources that pollute the atmosphere with ethylene. This ethylene is absorbed by the flower and increases the internally produced ethylene levels already present, which causes the flower to wilt more quickly than if it only had to cope with its own internal production of the substance. Additionally, the internal production is further accelerated by the external ethylene. This effect is described as autocatalitic.
What to do to prevent ethylene damage in spray carnation?
Once a flower is damaged by ethylene there is no going back. Only by providing proper post-harvest treatment you can prevent ethylene damage in spray carnations. The earlier you start the treatment after cutting the better. This will ensure the flower is better protected going through the entire chain. For spray carnation Chrysal AVB is the ideal solution to prevent ethylene damage. Optionally you can also add a treatment with Chrysal Ethyleen Buster, to enhance the effect of the Chrysal AVB treatment.
Chrysal AVB
