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Effects of ethylene and 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene) on bud and flower drop in mini Phalaenopsis cultivars

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Abstract

Phalaenopsis frequently exhibits bud drop during production and in response to adverse postharvest conditions. The effect of exogenous ethylene on bud drop of mini Phalaenopsis was studied and ethylene sensitivity of four cultivars was compared. Water content, membrane permeability and ABA (abscisic acid) content in floral buds and flowers were determined after ethylene treatment. Exogenous ethylene induced flower bud drop in all tested Phalaenopsis cultivars and the different cultivars showed distinct differences in ethylene sensitivity. The cultivar Sogo ‘Vivien’ exhibited the highest bud drop, water loss and change in membrane permeability in floral petals, while Sogo ‘Berry’ showed the lowest sensitivity. The ethylene inhibitor 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene) reduced ethylene-induced floral bud drop in the cultivar Sogo ‘Yenlin’. ABA content in floral buds was increased in response to ethylene and 1-MCP pretreatment inhibited the ethylene-induced increase in ABA levels efficiently. This finding suggests that the observed increase in ABA content during bud drop was mediated by ethylene. The interaction between ABA and ethylene is discussed.

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Abbreviations

1-MCP:

1-Methylcyclopropene

ABA:

Abscisic acid

ACC:

1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

ELISA:

Enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay

PAR:

Photosynthetic active radiation

STS:

Silver thiosulphate

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the orchid growers Helios, Odense, Denmark, for kindly providing plants and material for this study, and the technician Lene Korsholm Jørgensen for skillful assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Alle 13, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark

    Yujie Sun, Brian Christensen, Fulai Liu & Renate Müller

  2. AgroTech A/S, Institute for Agri Technology and Food Innovation, Højbakkegård Allé 21, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark

    Brian Christensen

  3. Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Phytohormones and Growth Development, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, People’s Republic of China

    Huiqun Wang

Authors
  1. Yujie Sun
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  2. Brian Christensen
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  3. Fulai Liu
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  4. Huiqun Wang
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  5. Renate Müller
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Correspondence to Renate Müller.

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Sun, Y., Christensen, B., Liu, F. et al. Effects of ethylene and 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene) on bud and flower drop in mini Phalaenopsis cultivars. Plant Growth Regul 59, 83–91 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-009-9391-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-009-9391-y

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