Journal of Bio-Environment Control ISSN:1229-4675(Print) 2765-3641(Online) 생물환경조절학회지

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of the final irrigation timing (FIT) before packaging for long-term transportation on growth, flowering, and crop quality of Phalaenopsis after simulated dark shipping (SDS). Phalaenopsis Sogo Yukidian ‘V3’ plants grown in 11 cm-diameter plastic pots filled with potting media (sphagnum moss + bark or only sphagnum moss) were packaged in paper boxes for export at 3.5, 7, 10 days (FIT 3.5, 7,10; Experiment 1) and 4, 6, 8, 10 days (FIT 4, 6, 8, 10; Experiment 2) after the final irrigation and then stored in a growth chamber at 20 ± 1°C and 70 ± 3% RH created for SDS. After 4 weeks, the plants were taken out and grown in a greenhouse at 23 ± 3°C and 70 ± 5% RH, and crop characteristics were measured during cultivation. In Experiment 1, the survival rate of FIT 3.5 plants was lower than that of FIT 7 and FIT 10. There was no difference between treatments in days to first flower, the number of florets, and the elongation rate of flower stalks. In Experiment 2, the percentage of rotted leaves was lowest in FIT 6 when before forcing and at 12 weeks after forcing, and that of FIT 8 was similar to FIT 6 when before forcing, but slightly increased after 12 weeks. The percentage of rotted leaves of FIT 10 was highest and that of FIT 4 was also high. There was little difference in flowering characteristics among treatments. In conclusion, the FIT before packaging for long-term (4 weeks) transportation of potted Phalaenopsis ‘V3’ affected the leaf rot rather than the post-shipping growth and flowering. And it was considered appropriate to set the volumetric water content of the potting media just before packaging to about 30%.