JPH0724511B2 - How to maintain the freshness of lavender cut flowers - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for maintaining freshness when storing and distributing cut lavender flowers after harvest, and more specifically, when harvesting and stalk length are specified, and after harvesting, when storing and distributing by environmental control. The present invention relates to a method for maintaining the freshness of lavender cut flowers.

[0002]

Lavender is a small shrub of the Labiatae family that has been native to Europe since ancient times, and its fragrance peculiar to herbs has been used as a natural bathing agent and preservative.

Since it was introduced to Hokkaido in Hokkaido in 1964, many kinds of varieties have been improved. Nowadays, its usage is not only perfume, lotion, soap, bath water and herbal tea but also perfume raw materials. Dried flowers are not only used for handicrafts such as dried flowers, potpourri and wreaths, but are also playing an important role in promoting regional agriculture as new tourism resources.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the invention] Of lavender,
The long-stem variety Okamurasaki (seed and seedling number 4) was used as a raw material for fragrance, and the short-stem variety Hayabaki 3 (seed and seedling number 3) was in demand for appreciation. Although it is expected to be enjoyed, cut flowers of lavender are prone to buds, peanuts and bent stems, so storage
It was said to be unsuitable for distribution.

Therefore, the inventors of the present application have conducted earnest research as a result of developing a method for maintaining the freshness of lavender cut flowers in order to enhance the marketability of lavender, and as a result, lavender has been unsuitable for storage and distribution as cut flowers. The biggest reason was that it is easy to lose water regardless of its variety, buds due to drying, flowering and bending of the stem etc., and when water absorption treatment is performed to prevent dryness, excessive water absorption causes physiological disorders, It was concluded that similar deterioration occurs, and therefore it is necessary to control the water content in order to maintain the freshness of cut lavender flowers.

[0006] However, the amount of transpiration of water generally varies depending on the type of agricultural products, and even if the same variety is cultivated by the same cultivation method, the temperature, humidity, mature aging hornmon (ethylene) concentration, wind, etc. It depends on conditions such as strength and light intensity.

[0007] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention observed the buds, deciduous flowers, the bending of the stem, the color of the foliage, etc. of cut flowers of lavender, while smelling the scent, and using the fresh weight due to the balance of evaporation and inhalation of water as an index of freshness. After repeated experiments, they found that the storage conditions were such that they could be stored and distributed.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] Based on this finding, the present invention harvests lavender so that the stem length will be 30 cm or less when in a bud state, immediately stacks it in a low temperature closed container, and then Cut flowers are bundled so that the flower buds are kept in an upward posture except during transportation, which is windless, in the dark, temperature 0 to 10 ° C, relative humidity 90 to 95%, oxygen concentration 10 to 20%.
In addition, the present invention proposes a method for maintaining the freshness of cut lavender flowers, which is transferred and stored under conditions such that ethylene generated from the cut flowers of lavender is removed.

Here, the cut flowers of lavender cut off in a bud state are stored in a closed space (container) made of a porous plate such as natural zeolite or modified porous aluminum sintered plate. It is carried out by cutting off all wind and light, that is, keeping the temperature at 0 to 10 ° C in the dark and in the dark.

By doing so, a trace amount of ethylene gas generated from the cut flowers is removed by the gas adsorption / absorption capacity of the porous plate closing the space.

Regarding oxygen, the cut flowers are breathing oxygen, and the oxygen concentration in the closed space decreases, but in response to this, oxygen in the air enters the space due to the gas barrier property of the porous plate. Oxygen concentration in the enclosed space is 10 ~
Equilibrium is reached at 20%.

Under storage conditions, if the oxygen concentration is less than 10%, it becomes difficult for the cut flowers to breathe, leading to deterioration in quality, and if the oxygen concentration is 20% or more, the cut flowers are promoted to respire, which increases the consumption of internal nutrients. , Similarly, the quality deteriorates.

With respect to water vapor, since the water vapor is emitted from the cut flowers by a physiological action (transpiration), it reaches saturation in the closed space in accordance with the temperature. The porous plate has a small adsorptive / absorbing ability with respect to water vapor, so that the closed space is kept at a high humidity of about 90 to 95% relative humidity.

[0014]

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to store and distribute cut lavender flowers of high quality, and it is expected to be used as cut flowers of lavender, which has not been developed so far.

[0015]

EXAMPLES The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of examples. Example 1 When the long-stem variety, Okamurasaki (seedling number 4) and the short-stem variety, Hayazaki No. 3 (seedling number 3) are in the bud state under the jurisdiction of the Nakafurano Agricultural Cooperative, Hokkaido, the variety, Okamurasaki has a stem length.
20 cm, 30 cm, and 50 cm, varieties / Hayazaki No. 3 has a stem length of 20 cm
After harvesting, the buds are immediately bundled so as to maintain the posture with the flower buds facing upward, placed horizontally in a closed box cooled to 10 ° C or less by a cooling agent, and then placed in the Hokkaido Agricultural Experiment Station (Memuro). It is housed in a closed space surrounded by materials made of the provided porous plate, and there is no wind, darkness, temperature 4 ° C, humidity 90 to 95%, oxygen concentration 10 to 20%, trace amount produced from cut flowers of lavender It was stored for 2 weeks under the condition that ethylene was removed. After that, the normal indoor environment in the summer in the field [temperature 23 ~ 30 ℃, humidity 65 ~
75%, ethylene was diffused naturally, no wind, natural light and fluorescent light (daytime) / dark (night)], and the bending of the cut flower stem was observed over time.

As a result, the stem length of the variety Okamurasaki is 50
After 24 hours, the cm-shaped one was bent into a U-shape at the upper part of the stem where the flower buds were densely packed, and it was in a fatal state from the viewpoint of using it as a cut flower.

Bending of the stem was observed in other varieties, Okamurasaki, but it was not fatal as a cut flower, so the stem length is limited to 30 cm. On the other hand, the variety
With respect to Hayazaki No. 3, the stalks remained almost upright.

Example 2 As in Example 1, a variety of buds, Hayazaki No. 3, was harvested and stored at the Hokkaido Agricultural Experiment Station by the same method. Cut flowers were cut into stems with a length of about 10 cm, and 40 cut flowers with similar bud size, leaf color and scent were tested. Ten of them were stored in a normal indoor environment in the summer in the field for the glass beaker of 7 cm in height [same as Example 1], and ten were sealed in a 330 ml mayonnaise type glass bottle with a double rubber stopper. Similarly, 10 pieces are stored in a closed space surrounded by a material made of the same porous plate as in Example 1 under the same conditions as in Example 1, and 10 pieces mayonnaise with a double rubber stopper of the same size. It was sealed in a mold glass bottle. Then, the weight was measured over time and the amount of ethylene was measured. Simultaneously with this, the presence or absence of buds, stem bending and foliage color were observed, and lavender odor was sniffed. The results after 2 weeks were as follows.

In the indoor storage, there was no flower drop or stem bending, but the buds had faded from dark purple to light purple, and the leaves were darkened in green, and deterioration was apparent. Both buds and foliage were accepted, and the weight loss per cut flower reached 50 mg / flower after 24 hours.
The scent had a lavender odor, but the first strong odor had disappeared. The produced ethylene had a very high concentration of 0.703 ppm, and no buds or stem bending was observed, but fading of buds and leaves was remarkable. It is considered that a large amount of ethylene was produced, which promoted metabolism and accelerated deterioration.

On the other hand, in storage in an enclosed space surrounded by a material made of a porous plate, no buds, no bending of stems, almost no change in buds, foliage and aroma, and no weight loss was measured. . The amount of ethylene produced was a very small amount of 0.05 ppm.

After two weeks, the experiment was conducted to continue the measurement and observation. FIG. 1 shows the results of plotting with the vertical axis representing weight loss and the horizontal axis representing storage period. According to this, in storage in a closed space surrounded by a material made of a porous plate, weight loss was not measured even after 3 weeks, almost no burning was observed in buds and foliage, and a strong lavender odor was emitted. . Ethylene continued to be produced on almost the same basis (indoor storage: 0.085 ppm / day, storage in a closed space surrounded by a material made of porous plate: 0.
005ppm).

Example 3 In the same manner as in Example 1, a variety of buds, Okamurasaki (seed and seedling number 4) was harvested, and carried into the Hokkaido Agricultural Experiment Station by the same method and stored. Cut flowers were cut into approximately 20 cm pieces, and 100 upright cut flowers with similar bud size, foliage color and aroma were tested. Fifty pieces are bundled up and down and stored in an indoor environment (same as Example 1), and 50 pieces are bundled in the same manner and under a closed space surrounded by a material made of a porous plate (same as Example 1) Stored in FIG. 2 shows the results of measuring the weight over time and plotting the weight loss. Weight loss was measured only after 2 weeks in a closed space surrounded by a material made of a porous plate. Cut flowers do not have buds and leaves,
The strong lavender odor remained retained. afterwards,
We untied the cut flowers and moved them to the indoor environment. 25 of the 50 cut flowers were stored as they were, 25 of them were placed in water, and observation was continued. The cut flowers kept in the room deteriorated day by day while emitting a lavender odor, and eventually turned into dried flowers. On the other hand, what was stored in a closed space surrounded by a material made of a porous plate was almost the same as the cut flowers immediately after harvesting, and 25 water-immersed flowers began to bloom gradually while giving off a lavender odor. After 6 days, it was in full bloom.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Fig. 1] Reduction of cut flowers due to storage of variety Hayatozaki No. 3: Diagram showing changes over time in integrated amount

[Fig. 2] Reduction of cut flowers due to storage of varieties and Okamurasaki: A diagram showing changes over time in integrated amount

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Lavender is harvested so that the stalk length is 30 cm or less when in a bud state, immediately stacked horizontally in a low-temperature closed container, and then windless, in the dark, at a temperature of 0 to 10 ° C., and a relative humidity of 90. A method for maintaining the freshness of cut lavender flowers, characterized in that the freshness of cut lavender flowers is preserved by removing the ethylene from the cut flowers of the lavender at 95% and oxygen concentration of 10 to 20%.