Modelling vase life of rose and gebera.

MSc-thesis abstract (submitted 25 August 2015): We studied the role of sugars, which involved in bacterial growth during the vase life of Gerbera cut flower. In earlier studies, the optimal result from model simulates and dataset showed sugar leakage from Gerbera scape was the major source for bacteria. Bacterial growth and sugar leakage were depends on variations of temperature, except the mortality of bacteria.

To study the role of sugars, experiments about the refresh of vase water, temperature affects sugar leakage were carried out. The experiment results showed: the sugar leakage from the flower into the vase water stopped within 2 days during vase life. New sugar leakage after refresh vase water and re-cut at day 1. There was no sugar leakage after re-cut the scape at the day 1 vase water refresh. Wounding tissue from scape cut had no effect on the sugar leakage. Make hole on the scape for different water heights reduced the sugar leakage during vase life. Large amount of sugar was found from stem extract liquid. More scape liquid was found from the middle of the scape. The glucose and fructose reserved most at the top of the scape. The pith tissue as a large sugar contributor retained at the top of the Gerbera flower, and it reduced during vase life. Further research on the role of sugar is needed.