Post harvest of pink ginger floral stems treated with silver thiosulphate, sucrose, and calcium

Abstract

The Brazilian market of tropical flowers has been growing broadly with a strong participation of the Northeast Region, where the State of Alagoas stands out. Among the exporting tropical cut flowers, pink ginger (Alpinia purpurata (Vieill) K. Schum) has been one of the most promising species. Aiming at delaying senescence in floral stems of pink ginger, two laboratory experiments were carried out at the Agricultural Science Center of the Federal University of Alagoas. In the first experiment, three different exposure periods (30; 60, and 120 minutes) to silver thiosulphate 1 mM were tested, followed or not by pulsing in a 20% sucrose solution, for 12 hours. In the second experiment, we evaluated the effect of adding calcium sulphate 50 and 100 mM, sodium silicate 1.25 and 2.5 mM, and the combination of calcium sulphate 50 mM + sodium silicate 1.25 mM on the hydric status and longevity of floral stems. In both experiments, the control treatment consisted of keeping stems in distilled water. Fresh biomass and quality of floral stems were determined every other day. Silver thiosulphate applied in pulsing for 60 minutes or more led to stem dehydration, whereas calcium sulphate improved both stem hydration and commercial durability.