Sucrose feeding of Cut Dendrobium inflorescences promotes bud opening, inhibits abscission of open flowers, and delays tepal senescence

Inflorescences of Dendrobium cv. Khao Sanan were held in distilled water (controls) or in solutions containing two antimicrobial compounds (silver nitrate and 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate) with or without 4 g L-1 sucrose or 4 g L-1 glucose. Sugar + antimicrobial compounds promoted bud opening and largely prevented abscission of open flowers. It also resulted in a delay of tepal senescence. No clear effect was found of sucrose feeding on the concentrations of sucrose, glucose and fructose in the tepals of open flowers, but an increase in sucrose, glucose, and fructose concentrations was found in the column + labellum. It is concluded that the effect of sugar feeding on abscission and tepal senescence might relate to a reduction of ethylene sensitivity. It was previously concluded that tepal senescence in Dendrobium flowers was not regulated in the tepals but in the column. It is not clear how the increased in sugar levels in the column + labellum relates to the delay of tepal senescence after sugar feeding. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.