MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING INVESTIGATION OF THE REHYDRATION OF CUT ROSES

Rehydration after harvest is essential for adequate postharvest life of cut roses, but harvesting introduces air emboli that restrict water flow. Hydration of embolized stems is slow because hydraulic continuity must develop around the initial embolism. Durkin (1980) suggested that placing stems in deep water might apply sufficient pressure to dissolve basal emboli, but this hypothesis has not previously been tested.

Previous studies of the role of emboli in the rehydration of rose stems were hampered by the lack of direct evidence of emboli and the inability to detect water movement in the stem. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which exploits the great abundance and high signal strength of the hydrogen nucleus, is a non-destructive, non-invasive technique that permits the study of intact systems. We report here on the use of MRI to visualize the dehydration and rehydration of cut rose stems.