VISITORS TOUR
Glossary Plus
Over 300 terms that relate to the postharvest care, handling
and marketing of floral crops are defined plus additional applicable
information presented whenever available in a search and browse
format. Members are encouraged to e-mail additional terms for
inclusion into this glossary. The following is a sampling of some
terms and definitions in the Glossary Plus.
Acclimatization - The adjusting by plants
to new environments. More specifically, the grower controlled
processes of preparing plants for subsequent environmental stresses
such as low light conditions found in retail stores and/or at
consumer level. Altering light intensities, irrigation frequencies,
fertilization rates and/or temperature regimes are some ways grower
can produce acclimatized plants. Generally used more in reference
to foliage plants compared to other floral crops. For example,
growing foliage plants under reduced light levels results in leaves
that can more effectively utilize the lower light levels often
found at consumer level.
Adjuvant - Chemicals added to treatment
solutions to make them more effective. A more common name is wetting
agent, which represents one class of adjuvants. Many flower foods,
hydration solutions and pesticides contain one or more adjuvants.
When one takes a shower or washes clothes one is using an adjuvant
called soap.
AGRICOLA - A searchable database operated
by the National Agricultural Library. It can be accessed at
http://www.nalusda.gov/ag98/.
AGRICOLA stands for AGRICultural OnLine Access.
Air bubbles - When flowers are harvested
from mother plants, cut flowers are held dry, or plants are under
water stress, air bubbles can form in the water conducting tissue.
These air bubbles can retard water uptake and thereby promote
wilting and possible ethylene production. Embolism and cavitation
are two other terms that are used to indicate that air bubbles
are present in the water conducting tissue. Just like doctors
and nurses are careful not to inject air into our veins, floral
industry members should work to prevent and/or correct air being
trapped inside stems.
