Longevity of Jasminum sambac cv. Gundumalli flowers with reference to respiration and ethylene release at different storage temperatures

An investigation on longevity of Jasminum sambac cv. Gundumalli flowers with reference to respiration and ethylene release at different storage temperatures was carried out at Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2011–12. Flowers were stored at different temperatures such as 4°C, 8°C, 12°C, 16°C, 20°C, 24°C and ambient condition as control. The respiration and ethylene production showed similar and temporal variation with an increase in temperature. Maximum production of 52.91 mg of CO₂/kg/hr and 164.80 μl C₂H₄/kg/hr was observed at 24 hours of storage under ambient condition while it took 8 days to reach the maximum (47.73 mg of CO₂/kg/hr and 166.19 μl C₂H₄/kg/hr) at 8°C. The longevity of flowers was negatively related to the increase in temperature from 4°C to 24°C and ambient storage. Maximum shelf life of 8 days was registered at 8°C and while a minimum of 1 day under ambient condition. The ideal storage temperature for Jasminum sambac cv. Gundumalli flowers was found to be 8°C, when compared to other storage temperatures and control.