New research into the interaction between flowers in mixed bouquets is to be
carried out by Cranfield Health PhD student Niramon Suntipabvivattana under the
supervision of Dr Leon Terry.
The three year project entitled Vase life extension of mixed bouquet flowers
is being funded by a 48,000 grant from the Royal Thai Government with support
from flower wholesaler; Flamingo Holdings.
Niramon hopes her research will also find a way of making flowers last longer by
pinpointing the exact date and causal biochemical factors that induce wilting.
She is firstly testing roses, then lilies, followed by mixed bouquets to
understand why and when flowers begin to wilt and how they interact with each
other.
Niramon from Thailand said: One of the problems with cut flower research is
that there has been a shortage of work on mixed bouquets even when most flowers
purchased in shops are mixed.
If we understand what chemically is changing in the roses it may mean that we
can then use intervention studies to extend vase life.
Cranfield’s School of Applied Science’s Dr Adrian Williams conducted research
two years ago that concluded that the greenhouse gas emissions of Kenyan roses
were just 17% of those of Dutch roses. The research commissioned by World
Flowers saw Dr Williams study the growing, packing, cooling and transporting of
roses from Kenya and the Netherlands to Hampshire.
Find out more about Dr Williams’ Kenyan and Dutch rose study research.
Cranfield University:
Cranfield University is a wholly postgraduate institution with a worldwide
reputation for excellence and expertise in aerospace, automotive, defence,
engineering, environment and water, health, management and manufacturing. The
University is made up of the following Schools: Cranfield Health, School of
Management, School of Applied Sciences, School of Engineering, and Cranfield
Defence and Security at Shrivenham. For more information visit
www.cranfield.ac.uk
Cranfield Health:
Cranfield Health, incorporating Cranfield Postgraduate Medical School, focuses
on health research, education and consultancy. It combines science and
technology, human factors and management to provide new solutions for the Health
sector. The School draws upon Cranfield’s roots in medical physics, food quality
and nutrition, bioscience and related diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
School of Applied Sciences:
The School of Applied Sciences, formally known as the School of Industrial &
Manufacturing Science, is recognised globally for its multi-disciplinary
approach to research and teaching. The school addresses the key areas of
manufacturing, advanced materials, natural resources and sustainable systems and
focuses on fundamental research and its application, together with teaching, to
meet the needs of industry and society. Sectors addressed include aerospace,
automotive, energy, engineering, the environment, manufacturing, motorsport,
offshore, water and waste.
Source:
Cranfield University