Postharvest Technologies for Commercial Floriculture

Commercial floriculture, which encompasses the production and trade of cut flowers, foliage plants, potted plants, landscape plants, bedding plants, seed production, dried flowers and plant parts, perfumes and essential oils, and natural dyes, has emerged as an important area in the present scenario and has been identified as a viable option for diversification into an agri-business. Among various aspects of floriculture, the essential oil, dried flower, and cut flower industries are emerging as powerful engines for economic growth. The present work aims to provide comprehensive information on the relevance of post-harvest technology in commercial floriculture. The book contains information on quality control and standardization in the perfume and essential oil industries as well as techniques for analyzing essential oils, including information on chemical constituents and sensory evaluation. The book also covers the processing techniques and quality attributes of floricultural crops, along with detailed descriptions of ornamental and aromatic plants that are sources of fragrances. The processing and preservation techniques for flowers and the various ways in which their parts can be used for value-added purposes are also discussed in full detail. The book provides extensive information on the various pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest factors that affect the quality of floriculture crops, particularly cut flowers.