Effect of Postharvest Temperature Management on Scent Emission from Cut Flowers of Tulip Cultivars

Abstract

Tulip (Tulipa gesneriana L.) cultivars exhibit diverse floral scents, the emissions of which are generally influenced by temperature. To fully benefit from these scents and add value to cut tulips, it is necessary to evaluate the scent emission response to temperature. This study investigated the daily emission changes of 82 volatiles, including the main scent compounds, at different temperatures (13, 18, and 23°C), in the cut tulips from eight tulip cultivars with different scents. At 23 and 18°C, the total scent emissions of each cultivar increased with flower opening and subsequently decreased with visible senescence. Floral senescence progressed more rapidly at 23°C, and the decrease in total scent emission occurred most rapidly at 23°C. Scent emissions at 18°C tended to be lower than at 23°C. The vase life of the cut tulips was most prolonged at 13°C owing to the slow senescence; however, scent emissions remained low after the flower opening. These results indicate that improving both tulip scent emission and vase life under constant temperature conditions is difficult. It was observed that scent composition changed before and after flower opening, and with floral senescence. In contrast, temperature had little effect on scent composition. Cut tulips stored at a low temperature (10 or 15°C) over four and a half days and then transferred to room temperature (20°C) had a longer vase life than tulips maintained at room temperature, due to delayed senescence. In addition, scent emissions were low at low temperatures, but increased rapidly upon transfer to room temperature. Therefore, storage of cut tulips at low temperatures may lead to increased scent emissions upon transfer to room temperature. These findings imply that low-temperature storage of cut tulips before sale contributes to both vase life and a rich scent after sale. The results reported here demonstrate the improvement of cut tulip scent emissions by appropriate temperature management.