Ornamental plants and their parts have great value in all auspicious occasions, functions, ceremonies, rituals and celebrations for making different decorations using the flowers like landscapes, hanging baskets on the wall, cards, potpourris, etc. by using different methods of drying techniques like embedded drying, freeze drying, oven drying, microwave oven drying, etc. The moisture content is responsible for lower vase life due to rottening and infestation of insect pests and diseases. Fresh flowers are perishable in nature due to their shorter postharvest shelf life. Particularly, flowers having a few days of vase life, longevity and attractive appearance mostly depend on the presence or absence of moisture content within the petal and sepal. Although they are quite attractive and have a pleasant odour but available only during a particular season, it would not make presence of offseason flowers at all auspicious occasions. The cost-effective and eco-friendly approach for the reduction of moisture content of the ornamental part of the plant while keeping the quality and its originality by adopting the different drying techniques provides the off-season ornamental plant materials the whole of the year. There are different approaches to dehydrating the flowers other than the drying technique to keep them for a few days to a week but applying drying techniques flowers can be preserved for a long time even months to year after drying or dehydration. The drying techniques approach are less expensive, sustainable, and need low cost machinery as well as to keep their attractive and natural appearance which facilitates the availability of off-season flowers on all the occasion. There are also other techniques to keep the flowers for a long time but they are less affordable, less eco-friendly and not applicable to most of the flowers. Secondly, they need special techniques and expertise to keep their value and marketability. However, the drying industry needs less input with less expertise for producing dried products whole around the year with their aesthetic value. The demand for dry flowers in the domestic as well as global markets is very high. The largest consumers of dried flowers in the world are the USA, Germany and the United Kingdom while the largest exporters of dried flowers in the trade are India, Netherlands, Mexico, Israel and Australia (BACI data, 2022). India ranks fifth among dried flower exporters in the world and contributes 70% of the total earnings in flower trade in the domestic market. The growth rate of drying industries is estimated at 15% annually and contributes about 5% to the world dry flower trade costing around Rs. 150 crores . Adopting suitable processing, drying and dehydration techniques determines the final quality of marketable dry flower products. The products must retain their original shape, colour and texture of plant material. Hence, different methods of drying techniques have been identified for different ornamental parts and developmental stages of the plant.
Author(s) Details:
Kamal Kant
Aspee Shakilam Biotechnology Institute, Navsari Agricultural University, Athawa Farm, Surat – 395 007, India.
Recent Global Research Developments in Eco-Friendly Methods for Preserving Ornamental Plant Materials
Sustainable Practices in Ornamental Plant Cultivation: This review highlights the implementation of sustainable practices in ornamental plant cultivation worldwide. It discusses the life cycle assessment (LCA) of ornamental plants, focusing on minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting integrated nutrient and pest management [1] .
Genomics and Eco-Friendly Breeding: Advances in genomics have enabled the development of eco-friendly breeding strategies for ornamental plants. Whole-genome sequencing and gene editing are being used to enhance traits such as stress resistance and reduced resource use [2] .
Urban Ecosystem Services: Ornamental plants contribute significantly to urban ecosystem services, including climate regulation, energy saving, and aesthetic benefits. This review analyzes the environmental, economic, social, and aesthetic benefits of ornamental plants in urban settings [3] .
Biotechnological Innovations: Recent biotechnological innovations focus on modifying ornamental plants to be more sustainable. Techniques such as genetic engineering are being used to develop plants that require fewer resources and have a lower environmental impact [2] .
Sustainable Production Methods: Research has highlighted novel sustainable production methods for ornamental plants, including the use of recyclable materials, peat-alternative growing compounds, and efficient irrigation and fertilization techniques [1] .
References
- Darras AI. Implementation of Sustainable Practices to Ornamental Plant Cultivation Worldwide: A Critical Review. Agronomy. 2020; 10(10):1570. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101570
- Zheng, T., Li, P., Li, L., & Zhang, Q. (2021). Research advances in and prospects of ornamental plant genomics. Horticulture Research, 8.
- Francini, A., Romano, D., Toscano, S., & Ferrante, A. (2022). The contribution of ornamental plants to urban ecosystem services. Earth, 3(4), 1258-1274.
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