Abstract
In this study, we analyzed the relationship between cultivation method of potted cyclamen and duration of the quality maintenance period. The cultivation method is a combination of cultivation technologies and is different from the single cultivation technology. The quality maintenance period is defined as the period when a consumer can enjoy the cyclamen flower. Several potted cyclamens from different producers were placed in the same environment. We determined the quality maintenance period by evaluating the enjoyment value of the cyclamens. The relationship between cultivation method and quality maintenance period was analyzed using the quantification theory typeⅠ. The cultivation methods that influenced the quality maintenance period included the kind of potting soil, the temperature setting one month before shipping, and the covering rate in summer. Moreover, the cultivation methods found to influence the quality maintenance period were different between the period when initial quality was maintained and all the periods when a consumer could enjoy the cyclamen. These results suggest that it is possible for farmers to use certain cultivation methods to produce cyclamens with a typical quality maintenance period for specific purposes such as gifts and family use.
