INFLUENCE OF GAS COMPOSITION ON THE STORAGE LIFE OF TUBEROSE FLOWERS (Polianthes tuberosa L.)
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Date
2018-01
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University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot. (College of Horticulture, Bengaluru).
Abstract
Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.), native of Mexico belonging to the family Agavaceae, has
a great economic potential for loose and cut flowers trade and essential oil industry. The flower
growers often face the problem of storage and preservation of harvested tuberose flowers. To
prolong the storage and shelf life of flowers a study was conducted on “Influence of gas
composition on the storage life of tuberose flowers (Polianthes tuberosa L.)” at Department of
Postharvest Technology, College of Horticulture, UHS Campus, Bengaluru during the academic
year 2016-17. Freshly harvested flowers were procured, sorted and were packed in 70 micron
transparent polyethylene covers with different gas composition (03% O2 + 05% CO2 + 92% N2;
05% O2 + 05% CO2 + 90% N2; 08% O2 + 10% CO2 + 82% N2; 10% O2 + 10% CO2 + 80% N2;
12% O2 + 15% CO2 + 73% N2; 15% O2 + 15% CO2 + 70% N2) along with control (Passive gas
composition) and stored in cold storage (10±2°C and relative humidity of 80±5 %). The best
treatment combination of 8 per cent O2 + 10 per cent CO2+ 82 per cent N2 has shown an increase
in storage life up to 14 days as compared to 12 days in control. Same treatment also reduced
respiration rate (0.355 mg CO2kg-1
h
-1
), minimum PLW (0.402 %) with retention of higher
firmness (795.21 g), colour (L* 86.32; a -4.30; b 21.00; C 23.67), higher total sugars (3.70%)
and lesser ion leakage (57.23%). The oxygen (0.23 %) and carbon dioxide (13.10 %)
concentration inside the pack recorded significant decrease and increase respectively in all the
treatments except control during the storage period. Shelf life (26 hours) of flowers kept at
ambient condition was recorded in the same best treatment compared to control (18 hours).