The chilling injury effect in cut flowers: a brief review

Low-temperature storage is the single most important handling procedure for cut flowers. Low temperature reduces respiration, transpiration rates and ethylene production and delays senescence. However, growers and wholesalers often damage plant tissue in their attempt to store cut flowers at low temperatures [i.e. chilling injury (CI)]. The problem is profound for tropical ornamental species such as Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae), anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum), heliconia (Heliconia bihai) etc, especially when those are transported in mixed cargo with other species more resistant to low-temperature storage (i.e. roses, tulips, chrysanthemums, gerberas, freesias, etc). The biochemical response to chilling damage is the induction of oxidative stress in cells as a result of plasma membrane disfunction. During CI, the membrane undergoes lipid degradation that leads to increased ion leakage, increased ethylene production and damage in the photosystem (PSII). Abiotic elicitor and hormone treatments such as absisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), UV-C irradiation, methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and 1-methyl-cyclopropane (1-MCP) to harvested horticultural products provided various levels of protection to CI.