Postharvest Technologies for Commercial Floriculture

Commercial floriculture, which comprises 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, as well as natural dyes, has emerged as an essential part of the agricultural sector and has been recognized as a potential area for diversification into a sustainable agribusiness option. Among the various aspects of floriculture, the essential oil, dried flower, and cut flower industries have been identified as powerful engines of economic growth. This book, therefore, aims to provide comprehensive information on the relevance of post-harvest technology in the commercial aspects of floriculture. It contains information on quality control and standardization in the perfume and essential oils industry, including techniques employed for analyzing essential oils and information on their chemical constituents and sensory evaluation. Additionally, the book provides details on the processing techniques and quality attributes of essential oils, as well as descriptions of ornamental and aromatic plants that serve as sources of fragrances. The book also includes discussions on the processing and preservation techniques for flowers and the various ways in which their parts can be used for value addition. Lastly, the book provides information on the quality factors affecting floricultural crops, including pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest factors, with a focus on cut flowers.