Preservation technologies for fresh cut flowers during different postharvest stages

Fresh cut flowers are widely used in interior decoration, ceremonial floral arrangements, social gifts and many other scenarios, boasting extremely high ornamental and commercial value. After being harvested, fresh cut flowers lose their supply of water and nutrients. Meanwhile, they are subjected to mechanical damage and the accumulation of ethylene during postharvest handling, which makes the flowers prone to rapid wilting and decay. This has become a core urgent problem to be solved in the flower industry. This study summarizes the physiological and molecular mechanisms of postharvest senescence in fresh cut flowers, and comprehensively reviews the current mainstream postharvest preservation technologies. It focuses on analyzing the applications of new materials and innovative techniques, such as nanomaterials, plant extracts and modified atmosphere packaging, in the preservation of fresh cut flowers. The results indicate that nanomaterials represent an important development direction for cut flower preservation technology. In the future, more novel preservatives and packaging materials will be developed based on nanomaterials to better address postharvest problems of fresh cut flowers. Furthermore, cut flower preservation technologies will evolve toward environmental friendliness, with more natural, non-toxic substances adopted as preservative ingredients and biodegradable materials applied for flower packaging. In addition, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and personalized preservation strategies will achieve broader and better applications in fresh cut flower preservation. These findings provide a valuable reference for the future development of postharvest preservation technologies for fresh cut flowers.