Description

India is bestowed with several agro-climatic zones conducive for production of sensitive and delicate floriculture products. During the decade after liberalization floriculture industries took giant steps in the export arena. This era has seen a dynamic shift from sustenance production to commercial production. Tithonia rotundifolia Blake is one such attractive annual plant with large, showy, long peduncled and solitary flowers. Although having beautiful ornamental flower, it is not at all seen in the commercial market. Furthermore, the shelf life of this flower is also not studied yet. In consequence, the need of present study was felt with the aim to study the changes taking place during senescence process and also during post harvest shelf life of such an important potential cut flower. The vase life of cut flowers plays a vital role in commercial acceptability of flowers, an attempt has been made to find the influence of various chemicals in the vase solution. The growing knowledge of mineral nutrition of plants with special reference to micronutrients has made us realize that great changes are possible through judicious supply of certain inorganic or organic substances.