Post-harvest

Initially, a literature study was conducted related to the concentration of Ca2+ and K+ in commercial leaves of tulip, as they are related to the curvature (bending) of the flowering stem during the post-harvest period, which degrades the quality of the cut flowers. In addition, the function of portable instruments was tested to determine the concentrations of these elements in solutions, and the measurements were compared with others obtained by spectrophotometric methods.

Also, a pilot measurement of the chlorophyll content in commercial tulip leaves was performed using a SPAD instrument, and pilot measurements were performed to determine the colour of flowers of different species with a special colorimeter (PCE-CSM-1). All the above measurements were carried out in the context of controlling the operation of the equipment in order to be calibrated for use in cut flowers of Greek tulips that will be cultivated and harvested in the frame of the TULIPS.GR project for vase life determination.