INFLUENCE OF 1-MCP AND TEMPERATURE ON THE SHELF-LIFE OF TROPAEOLUM MAJUS FLOWERS

Edible flowers can be used to garnish entrée desserts, drinks and also as ingredients for salads and soups since they are colorful and some have interesting taste. They are extremely perishable horticultural products and the loss of their quality occurs in a few hours after harvest. Lowering the temperature of the product, associated with modified atmosphere prolongs the postharvest shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The goal of this work was to determine the effects of 1-methylcycloprepene (1-MCP) pre-treatment and temperature of storage on the shelf life of Indian cress flowers. After harvest, fully open flowers were fumigated with 1.5 g m^-3 SmartFresh^® (0.14% 1-MCP) for 24 h. Afterwards, the flowers were stored in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) boxes at 2, 4, 6 or 8°C. The quality of the flowers was evaluated after 7 and 14 days of storage based on the loss of fresh mass, flower senescence and wilting of the petals. After 14 days of storage at all temperatures the 1-MCP treated flowers had significantly lower weight loss than the control ones. Flowers treated with 1-MCP and stored at 8°C were turgid after 7 days, while those stored at 2, 4 or 6°C were wilted. Postharvest pre-treatment of Indian cress flowers with 1-MCP followed by storage at 8°C in PET box maintained the shelf life for 7 days.