| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4519670 | Postharvest Biology and Technology | 2008 | 8 Pages |
The sensitivity of cut flowers and foliage to irradiation used for insect disinfestation varies from species to species and to a lesser extent variety to variety. Flowers with low sensitivity to 250 Gy of electron-beam irradiation were Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata) and Bird-of-Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) inflorescences, and Oncidium (Oncidium spp.–Gower Ramsey) sprays. Medium sensitive flowers were Dendrobium (Dendrobium spp.) ‘Royal Purples’, Protea hybrid ‘Pink Ice’ and heliconia ‘Red Stricta’ (Heliconia stricta). Flowers that showed high sensitivity to 250 Gy were Heliconia ‘Keanae’, ‘Beehive’ ginger (Zingiber spectabilis), ‘Barbatus’ ginger (Costus barbatus), and ‘Indian head’ ginger (Costus woodsonii) inflorescences. White (UH 306) dendrobium was more sensitive than the Pink (UH 232) to irradiation (150 Gy). Pretreatment of UH 306 with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP: 50 μg L−1, 3 h) extended the vase life of dendrobium sprays and mitigated the effects of irradiation (250 Gy) on dendrobium vase life. Hot water at 40 °C for 30 min or up to 47.5 °C for 20–30 min reduced the minimal irradiation injury to Bird-of-Paradise inflorescences. For the heliconia ‘Keanae’ inflorescences, a hot water treatment at 45–47.5 °C for 40 min effectively reduced irradiation injury. Red ginger infloresences were able to withstand 500 Gy if pretreated with benzyladenine (BA) before irradiation. Green Ti (Cordyline terminalis) was not sensitive to irradiation doses from 0 to 500 Gy. Leather-leaf fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) and baby eucalyptus (Eucalyptus pulverulenta) foliage showed little or no sensitivity to irradiation. Lycopodium (Lycopodium taxifolium) and Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) were sensitive. Ruscus leaves (Ruscus aeulectus L.) showed chlorosis after irradiation and leaves treated with BA had less chlorosis compared to the non-irradiated foliage. ‘Pink Ice’ protea foliage withstood up to 500 Gy, if first pulsed with 2% glucose solution for 12 h.
