Fisiologia pós-colheita de alstroemeria

Abstract

Alstroemeria is one of the main cut flowers globally and the second most sold in Brazil. However, it poses a challenge during the post-harvest stage due to the rapid yellowing of the leaves, which leads to a loss of ornamental value. Proper post-harvest management of alstroemeria is essential to preserve quality and enhance durability. The utilization of conservative post-harvest solutions has been a primary approach for addressing these concerns. Despite numerous studies testing conservative solutions in the post-harvest treatment of alstroemeria, there is a scarcity of research identifying the physiological effects and encompassing the biochemical processes throughout the various commercial stages, from harvest to the final consumer. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the physiological effects and conduct biochemical studies on post-harvest conservative solutions for maintaining the floral stems of Alstroemeria hybrida cv. Akemi. The experiment was

2 conducted using a completely randomized design, involving five conservative post-harvest solutions and six data collection periods. The solutions used for testing were 6-benzyladenine (200 mg L -1 ), FloraLife Crystal Clear® (10 g L -1 ), Florissant 210XC (0.05 mL L -1 ) with chlorine (0.03 g L -1 ), gibberellic acid (0.1 mM) and silver thiosulfate (2 mM in pulsing) until the end of the stems useful life. Parameters such as temperature, pH and electrical conductivity of the solutions; vase life, relative fresh mass and ethylene production of floral stems; chlorophyll content, relative water content and electrolyte leakage from leaves; enzymatic activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase of flowers; quantification of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation of flowers. In addition, the temperature and humidity of the environment were measured daily. Floral stems treated with gibberellic acid, Florissant 210XC with chlorine, and silver thiosulfate showed greater post-harvest durability. Gibberellic acid and Florissant 210XC with chlorine effectively delayed leaf yellowing, while silver thiosulfate prevented perianth abscission. There was minimal variation in relative fresh mass, chlorophyll content, relative water content and ethylene production during the harvest, storage and transport stages. However, significant variation was observed during the commercialization stage. Enzymes CAT, POD, SOD and APX reduced H 2 O 2 accumulation and exhibited greater activity during harvesting and marketing. No significant differences were noted in the temperature and electrical conductivity of the conservative solutions. FloraLife Crystal Clear®, with na acidic pH, demonstrated a shorter vase life.