Cut flower production in

Sri Lanka

Sanduni K. MadarasingheUniversity of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka

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Tourism, Tea export, Textile, Rice production &Other agricultural products.

Floriculture

Cut flower

Live plants

Decorative foliage species

Main economic sectors of Sri Lanka are;

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Cut flower refers to flowers or flower buds (often with some stem and leaf) that have been cut from the plant bearing it.

Cut flowers,,,

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Typical uses are;

In vase displaysWreaths GarlandsTo worshipFor decorationsFor bouquetsFor therapeutic usesFor industrial purposesAs gifts

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I love You

Will You marry me

Be mine

You & me

Happy valentine’s

day

Love forever

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What benefits…

An excellent income supplement.

Add beauty to farm & home.

Flowers can attract bees like beneficial insects.

Therapeutic for growers with health problems.

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Two main types of cut flowers,,,

1)Temperate Cut Flowers

Carnation Rose Statice Gypsophyla Alstroemeria Chrysanthemum Lilies Irises

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2) Tropical Cut FlowersAnthuriums IxoraOrchids

Gerberas

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How it came into practice?

Cultivation of flowers has existed for ages.

After the British rule - practiced not as an industry but mainly as a hobby.

With introductions of tropical and sub tropical plants the trend was passed down to other levels of society.

In Sri Lanka…

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Floriculture was started as an industry in 1970.

Now - a major foreign exchange generating ventures.

Total area under floriculture in Sri Lanka is about 500 hectares.

10 ha - Carnations 10 ha - Anthuriums 3 ha - Roses 3 ha - Orchids2 ha - Gerberas

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Major areas of commercial cut flower production

Western provinceNorth Western provinceCentral Provinces

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Categories of growers:

Large commercial ventures for export.

Middle level growers catering to the local market.

Village level producers who sell products to either of the two above categories.

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Marketing…Main export markets are Europe (72%)

Far East and Middle East (28%)

Sri Lankan Floriculture Exports Source: Sri Lanka Customs Statistics (2010)

Value of exports (US$)Product 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Live plants 4,989,546 4,873,013 6,798,738 5,894,094 5,923,955

Cut flowers 5,597,486 6,323,128 6,568,802 5,117,526 4,701,978

Fresh decorative leaves

661,931 832,232 816,442 435,240 1,116,914

Total 11,248,963 12,028,373 14,183,982 11,446,860 11,742,847

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From field to florist…

Cutting Conditioning

Grading

PackingDelivery

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Harvesting cut flowers… Flowers should never be cut when they are wilted.

Avoid cutting in the heat of the day.

Evening - best time (plants have been making sugars throughout the day).

Morning - second best time (plants are full of water).

Best to harvest just before a flower is fully open.

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Include transport of cut flowers from field to pack-house, pack-house operations, storage and long distance transport.

Postharvest practices

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Conditioning:

Preparation of cut flowers when they arrive at the design site.

Stems should be re-cut and defoliated that no leaves will be in the water solution.

Flowers are placed in water that is approximately 100-110°F.

Once the flowers are full of water, they can be placed in a cooler that is 34 - 38°F.

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What do cut flowers need to remain fresh?

When fresh flowers are removed from plants, they continue to photosynthesize.

Thus,,,

Two needs for maintaining the health of cut flowers are; water & sugar.

The two most common sugars;sucrose and dextrose.

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Fresh cut flowers should be placed in an environment free from ethylene gases.

Sanitation or cleanliness improves the vase life of flowers.

Introduction of bacteria and organisms can be avoided by keeping sanitary.

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What causes a flower to deteriorate and die?

Major causes of flower deterioration and death are determined by;

genetics, lack of water, time of harvest, ethylene, &disease or damage.

Wilting is caused by the inability of plant tissues to absorb enough water to replace water lost by transpiration.

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Cut flowers can be revived by re-cutting the stems under water and placing the entire stems in a warm preservative solution.

Reviving cut flowers…

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Extending vase life…

Floral preservatives will extend the life of cut flowers.

A floral preservative is a complex mixture of;

Sucrose (sugar) Acidifier An inhibitor of microorganisms A respiratory inhibitor

Use a clean vase and check the water level daily.

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Reasons for postharvest losses.

Lack of sanitation practices.

Physical damage due to careless handling.

Improper use of containers.

Packaging of a mixture of cut flowers in a single pack.

Lack of proper program to make the producers aware on cut flower handling.

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Critical pests…

• Aphids

• Grasshoppers

• Beetles

• Nematodes

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Major diseases :

Damping off

Root rotting

Powdery mildew

Bacterial blight

Bacterial blight Powdery mildew

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Future perspectives

Ministry of Economic Development has launched two development programs at field level;

“Suwahas Mal” – for middle & small scale growers“Divi Naguma” _ for large scale growers

Can produce better varieties through breeding.

Can provide land, seeds, tools and storage facilities for growers.

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Limitations in production development

Inadequacy and high cost of air cargo.

Lack of trained personnel.

Lack of information.

Lack of facilities for research and development.

Lack of improved systems of marketing.

Big initial investment on farms.

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• Dhanasekera D.M.U.B., Cut flower production in Sri (2012),FAO Corporate Document Repository.

• http://www.srilankaexpo.com/index.php/products-a-services/agriculture-and-fisheries/floriculture

• Sri Lanka council for agriculture research policy

• www.whitelionlimited.com

• Samarasinge,G.P.D.C, Rubasinghe,M.K., Dissanayake,D.M.D., Evaluation of suitable varieties of Gerbera for cut flower production under the mid country climatic conditions.

References:

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Thank You!!!Special thanks to:Dr. T.G. Dayananda