Impacts of carbohydrate pulses and short-term sub-zero temperatures on vase life and quality of cut Paeonia lactiflora Pall. hybrids

• Published in: Postharvest biology and technology 2020-03, Vol.161, p.111083, Article 111083
• Main Authors: Jahnke, Nathan J., Dole, John M., Livingston, David P., Bergmann, Ben A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bernhardt, Sarah (1844-1923); Carbohydrates; Cold; Cold flow; Cold tolerance; Cold treatment; Cultivars; Drinking water; Florists; Flowers; Fructose; Hybrids; Ice nucleation; Infrared thermography; Injuries; Nucleation; Paeonia lactiflora; Peony; Ratings; Stems; Storage; Sucrose; Sugar; Supercooling
• ISSN: 0925-5214; 1873-2356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2019.111083

•Bud time of ‘Karl Rosenfield’ was reduced by >2 d after 5 h of -4 °C.•Carbohydrate pulses did not improve total vase life of any peony cultivar.•No freeze injury was observed when stems were kept dry prior to cold treatment.•Infrared video depicted supercooling and freezing within 2–5 h at -4 °C. Flower quality of cut Paeonia lactiflora (peony) Pall. hybrids is best preserved between 0 and 1 °C. However, cut flower traits such as vase life and flower size often decline following 4 or more weeks of storage. While the use of sub-zero temperatures is avoided in the cut flower industry due to fears of freeze injury, sub-zero temperatures may allow extended storage of cut flowers. Peonies are a candidate for sub-zero storage due to their natural cold tolerance, exposure to spring freezes before harvest, and limited seasonal availability. Three cultivars: Karl Rosenfield, Monsieur Jules Elie, and Sarah Bernhardt were used to evaluate freeze tolerance of cut peonies by holding cut stems at three temperatures: 0, −2, −4 °C for 5 h. Pre-cold treatment pulses consisting of 24 h in either 100 g·L−1 sucrose, 100 g·L−1 fructose, or tap water did not improve total vase life, summation of the time spent as a bud and time open. Total vase life was 10.5, 7.1, and 9.3 d for ‘Karl Rosenfield’, ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’, and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, respectively. Sucrose-pulsed stems of ‘Karl Rosenfield’ and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ had the lowest total vase life. Pulses and cold-treatments decreased bud time for ‘Karl Rosenfield’ and ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ by 2–3 d and 0.5–1 d, respectively. Petals were the only tissue to develop water-soaked spotting (freeze injury) following 5 h at -4 °C. Stems kept dry (not pulsed) prior to cold treatment were uninjured. Fructose-pulsed stems of ‘Karl Rosenfield’ and ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ had the highest injury ratings when held at -4 °C. Carbohydrate-pulsing did not influence injury ratings on ‘Sarah Bernhardt’. Supercooling and multiple freeze events were observed with infrared video in all tissues when held at -4 °C. Typically, ice nucleation started at the base of the cut stems and propagated throughout the stem, leaves, and bud within 3–5 min of initiation. Stems that were not pulsed remained in a supercooled state longer than those that were pulsed. These findings indicate that storage temperatures between 0 and -2 °C may be a good option for longer periods of dry storage for peonies and other cold tolerant cut flower species.