Quality Maintenance Method for Transporting Five Species of Greening Nursery Stock Saplings during Export to Asian Countries.

Abstract

This study aimed to develop methods to maintain quality of greening nursery stock during container transportation for export to East and Southeast Asia, Storage tests were conducted to explore the impact of container type, transpiration control agent application, and packing methods. Post-delivery analysis revealed that Camellia ‘Ikkyu’ exhibited a decrease in percentage of healthy plants when transported in dry containers with transpiration control treatment and plastic bag packing. However, all plants in reefer containers were healthy. Kurume azalea ‘Chikushibeni’ showed a decline in healthy plants in dry containers, whereas the number of healthy plants in reefer containers with plastic bag packing was higher. Sasanqua camellia ‘Kanjiro’, Japanese holly, and Japanese black pine exhibited no wilted or dead plants. These findings indicate that the optimal transportation method varies by species in greening nursery stock. Reefer containers are recommended for camellias and Kurume azaleas, whereas sasanqua camellia, Japanese holly, and Japanese black pine can be cost-effectively transported in dry containers at room temperature.