Longevity of stems of Canadian Goldenrod grown under water stress

The availability of water for plants influences the quality of cut flowers, since water stress causes several changes in plant growth and development. The goldenrod is often used as cut flower, however, there is little information about plant management, particularly on the water requirements. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of water availability during growth on the postharvest life of goldenrod inflorescences.

The stems were harvested from plants grown in 5.5-L vases, with substratum kept at 100, 75, 50 and 25% container capacity. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four treatments, four replications and two stems per repetition. The postharvest longevity was defined as the number of days between harvest and loss of ornamental value, marked by the darkening of capitula and wilting of the leaves. The relative water content (RWC) at the time on the experiment implementation and after 24 hours of watering was determined.

At the time of experiment implantation, the lowest RWC was observed in stems grown at container capacity of 25% and increased after 24 h of watering. After 24 h of watering, the RWC was similar in all treatments. The longevity was greater for the levels of 50 and 25% water capacity, since the opening of capitula was less synchronized.

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