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Alstroemeria is an important pot plant and cut flower in the ornamental plant market, and its propagation mainly occurs by rhizome division. However, this method is inefficient and time-consuming and may contribute to the spread of viruses. This study focused on developing in vitro propagation protocols using aerial explants of Alstroemeria caryophyllaea and A. ‘Sweet Laura’, two scented genotypes. Aerial explants of alstroemeria were regenerated by testing three types of aerial explants and four concentrations of cytokinins. Both A. caryophyllaea and A. ‘Sweet Laura’ showed the highest induction rate from shoots, with values of 35 and 63.3%, respectively. For both genotypes, the optimum BAP concentration for direct organogenesis from buds was 1.0 mg L-1. Finally, a successful protocol for in vitro propagation of A. caryophyllaea and A. ‘Sweet Laura’ through direct organogenesis from aerial explants was generated. Resumen Alstroemeria es una especie importante en el mercado de plantas ornamentales y flores de corte y su propagación es principalmente realizada por división de rizomas. Sin embargo, este método es ineficiente, altamente demandante de tiempo y puede contribuir a la dispersión de virus. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo desarrollar un protocolo de propagación in vitro usando explantes aéreos de Alstroemeria caryophyllaea y A. cv. ‘Sweet Laura’, dos genotipos aromáticos. Los explantes aéreos de alstroemeria fueron regenerados probando tres tipos de explantes y cuatro concentraciones de citoquininas. Tanto A. caryophyllaea como A. cv. ‘Sweet Laura’ mostraron la mayor tasa de inducción desde brotes, con valores de 35 y 63,3%, respectivamente. Para ambos genotipos la concentración óptima de BAP para desarrollar organogénesis directa desde brotes fue de 1.0 mg L-1. Finalmente, se generó un protocolo exitoso para la propagación in vitro de A. caryophyllaea y A. cv. ‘Sweet Laura’ a partir de explantes aéreos.

D. Aros, C. Silva, C. Char, L. Prat, and V. Escalona. 2016. Role of flower preservative solutions during postharvest of Hydrangea macrophylla cv. Bela. Cien. Inv. Agr. 43(3):418-428. Hydrangea macrophylla (hydrangea) is widely used as an ornamental plant and cut flower due to its inflorescence, which is composed of colored bracts. As cut flowers, hydrangeas show a postharvest life of up to 1 month at 2 °C, but little is known about their postharvest life during air shipment. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of Triton X-100 (surfactant) and ClO2 (biocide) during an air shipment simulation of hydrangea harvested at two floral stages of development: fresh and antique. Vase life, fresh weight loss (FWL) and solution uptake were evaluated after an air shipment simulation. Furthermore, bacterial counts and microscopic observation of the bracts were performed in order to understand the water relations of hydrangea during vase life. The longest vase life was observed in antique hydrangeas, and the control (deionized water) was the best treatment, reaching up to 32.7 days in this floral stage. FWL was faster when using Triton X-100 (3.83 days to lose 20% of FW) compared to deionized water (8.75 days). However, this flower preservative was efficient at promoting solution uptake (31.96 mL). Bacterial plugging did not appear to occur considering that the high presence of microorganisms counted did not affect solution uptake or vase life. The presence of stomata on the bracts seems to be crucial for the dehydration of the inflorescence, a problem that was not solved by the higher water uptake promoted by Triton X-100. Thus, deionized water was the best treatment, and the effect of flower preservatives in order to extend vase life of hydrangea cut flowers was insignificant.

High quality fruits are increasingly demanded along with the need to ensure this attribute to consumers. Thus, this study was aimed at characterizing a melting (’Elegant Lady’) and a non-melting flesh (’Carson’) peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) varieties by considering both their bioactive compound contribution and their sensory quality in ripe fruit at harvest and after a prolonged period of cold storage. Cultivars were evaluated at harvest (F0) and after 30 d of cold storage (F30), as well as after a maturation period at 20 °C for both F0 and F30 (R0 and R30, respectively). Fruit weight, flesh firmness, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), and background color (Hue) were recorded at each stage. Furthermore, total phenol content was measured and a phenolic characterization by HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) was performed for both varieties to detect the major low molecular weight phenolic compounds present in the fruit. Finally, a trained panel assessed the main sensorial parameters at R0 and R30. Total phenol content did not change significantly as a result of cold storage and differences were probably attributed only to genotype. Low molecular weight phenolic compounds were detected in ’Elegant Lady’ and ’Carson’, 15 and 12, respectively; (+)-catechin was the major compound found in both cultivars, but in higher concentrations in ’Elegant Lady’. In the phenolic characterization, ’Elegant Lady’ was observed more closely than ’Carson’ for flavonoids. After 30 d of cold storage, ’Elegant Lady’ was unacceptable for consumption due to the appearance of physiological disorders such as wooliness while ’Carson’ showed a mean score within the acceptability range.

High quality fruits are increasingly demanded along with the need to ensure this attribute to consumers. Thus, this study was aimed at characterizing a melting (’Elegant Lady’) and a non-melting flesh (’Carson’) peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) varieties by considering both their bioactive compound contribution and their sensory quality in ripe fruit at harvest and after a prolonged period of cold storage. Cultivars were evaluated at harvest (F0) and after 30 d of cold storage (F30), as well as after a maturation period at 20 °C for both F0 and F30 (R0 and R30, respectively). Fruit weight, flesh firmness, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), and background color (Hue) were recorded at each stage. Furthermore, total phenol content was measured and a phenolic characterization by HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) was performed for both varieties to detect the major low molecular weight phenolic compounds present in the fruit. Finally, a trained panel assessed the main sensorial parameters at R0 and R30. Total phenol content did not change significantly as a result of cold storage and differences were probably attributed only to genotype. Low molecular weight phenolic compounds were detected in ’Elegant Lady’ and ’Carson’, 15 and 12, respectively; (+)-catechin was the major compound found in both cultivars, but in higher concentrations in ’Elegant Lady’. In the phenolic characterization, ’Elegant Lady’ was observed more closely than ’Carson’ for flavonoids. After 30 d of cold storage, ’Elegant Lady’ was unacceptable for consumption due to the appearance of physiological disorders such as wooliness while ’Carson’ showed a mean score within the acceptability range. La demanda de fruta de alta calidad se ha incrementado junto con la necesidad de asegurar este atributo a los consumidores. En este sentido, el objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar durazno (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) de variedades de pulpa fundente (’Elegant Lady’) y no fundente (’Carson’), considerando su contribución de compuestos bioactivos y su calidad sensorial en fruta madura a cosecha y luego de un período prolongado de almacenamiento refrigerado. Las variedades fueron evaluadas a la cosecha (F0) y luego de 30 d de almacenamiento refrigerado (F30), además de un período de maduración a 20 °C en F0 y F30 (R0 y R30, respectivamente). Se registró el peso del fruto, firmeza de pulpa, contenido de sólidos solubles (CSS), acidez titulable (TA), y color de fondo (Hue) en cada tratamiento. Además se cuantificaron los fenoles totales y se realizó una caracterización fenólica de ambas variedades a través de un HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) para detectar los principales compuestos fenólicos de bajo peso molecular presentes en el fruto. Finalmente un panel entrenado evaluó los principales parámetros sensoriales en R0 y R30. El contenido de fenoles totales no varió significativamente como resultado del almacenamiento en frío, las diferencias observadas sólo fueron atribuibles a los genotipos. Se detectaron 15 y 12 compuestos fenólicos de bajo peso molecular en ’Elegant Lady’ y ’Carson’, respectivamente, siendo catequina el principal compuesto encontrado en ambos cultivares, aunque en mayores concentraciones en ’Elegant Lady’. En la caracterización fenólica, ’Elegant Lady’ apareció más estrechamente relacionada con los flavonoides que ’Carson’. Después de 30 d de almacenamiento en frío, ’Elegant Lady’ no fue aceptable para consumo debido a la aparición de desórdenes fisiológicos como harinosidad, mientras que ’Carson’ mostró una puntuación promedio dentro del rango de aceptabilidad.