Postharvest quality retention of Etlingera elatior cultivars under refrigeration conditions

Retenção da qualidade pós-colheita de cultivares de Etlingera elatior sob condições de refrigeração

Torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) is a tropical cut flower native to Southeast Asia with high ornamental value and strong production potential in tropical regions of the Americas. Commercialization of this species is limited by its relatively short shelf life, which restricts distribution to distant markets. This study evaluated the quality retention in torch ginger cultivars (‘Red Torch’, ‘Pink Torch’, ‘Porcelana’, and ‘Tulipa’) under four storage temperatures (15 ± 3, 18 ± 3, 21 ± 3, and 24 ± 3 °C) over four storage durations (1, 4, 7, and 10 days). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design using a split-plot arrangement over time, with four replications and five stems per experimental unit. Fresh mass, inflorescence stem diameter, water uptake, and inflorescence visual quality were evaluated using a scoring scale. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, and means were compared using Tukey’s test at the 5% significance level. Refrigerated storage reduced fresh mass loss and water uptake compared with the control treatment (24 °C). Pronounced senescence symptoms in floral stems were observed at 7 and 10 days of storage, resulting in visual quality scores below 2. Storage at 15 °C resulted in greater postharvest longevity than the other temperatures evaluated, exceeding the control treatment by more than 30%, regardless of cultivar. Refrigerated storage extended the shelf life of torch ginger floral stems by reducing fresh mass loss and maintaining higher visual quality compared with the control.

Keywords:
Cut flowers; longevity; senescence; storage temperature; Torch ginger