Effect of Various Chemicals with Packaging and Storage on Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) Shelf Life

Tuberose occupies a very selective and special position among the ornamental bulbous plants for its beauty, elegance and sweet pleasant fragrance. It is also gaining priority in the loose flower trade. For prolonging the shelf life, tuberose florets (in bud) were harvested from cv. Prajwal, Arka Niranthara and Mexican Single and the shelf life of the harvested buds was studied with Boric Acid (2%, 3% and 4%) and citric acid (150, 300 and 450 ppm). The treated buds were kept in polypropylene (PP) bags with or without vent (0.2%) at 40C. It was found out that in cv. Arka Niranthara had maximum number of open flowers (45.33 %) after five days of treatment in citric acid at 450 ppm with the vented polypropylene bags. The fresh weight loss of the same variety was minimum (14.628 %) in the vented PP bags with 2% boric acid. In cultivar Mexican Single, 150 ppm citric acid and 2% boric acid were at par for shelf life of flowers opening (11.56 and 11.5 days, respectively) in non vented PP bags. The cultivar Prajwal also produced maximum percentage (30.67 %) of bud open after 5 days in 450 ppm citric acid i.e. with vented polypropylene bags. The maximum CO2 rate (129.04 ml CO2/kg/l) with zero bud rotting was also observed in cv. Prajwal in the treatment of 450 ppm citric acid with vented polypropylene bag.