1-Methylcyclopropene inhibits ethylene action in cut phlox flowers
Ron Porat, Eitan Shlomo, Margrethe Serek, Edward C. Sisler and Amihud Borochov
Postharvest Biology and Technology Vol: 6 Issue: 3-4. p 313-319.
1995
บทคัดย่อ
Phlox (Phlox paniculata cv. Rembrandt) flowers were found to be very
sensitive to ethylene. Exposure to ethylene enhanced flower abscission in a
concentration-dependent manner, with 50% abscission attained after treatment
with 1 
l l-1
ethylene for 12 h. As a result, ethylene also reduced the number of open
flowers on the stems throughout their vase life. A 6-h pre-treatment with a
volatile inhibitor of ethylene action, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), completely
inhibited the ethylene-induced flower abscission and hence the reduction in the
number of open flowers on the stems. 1-MCP was maximally effective in
inhibiting the ethylene response at a low concentration (25 nl l-1)
and had no visible toxic effects, even at 500 nl l-1. The effects of
1-MCP on flower abscission were comparable to that of a pulse treatment with
silver thiosulfate (STS). We therefore suggest that it may serve as an
alternative to the commercial treatment of phlox flowers with STS, the latter
being an environmental hazard.