Standardization of packaging technique(s) for the distant marketing of Rhynchostylis retusa

A postharvest experiment was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, AAU, Jorhat, to study the effect of different packaging technique(s) for the distant marketing of Foxtail orchid spikes. The seven treatments were as follows: T1: CFB box (control); T2: wrapping with 200 gauge polyethylene sheet + KMnO₄ sachet + CFB box; T3: wrapping with butter paper + KMnO₄ sachet + CFB box; T4: wrapping with Brown Paper + KMnO₄ sachet + CFB box; T₅: plastic vial containing 8-HQS (25 ppm) + wrapping with 200 gauge polyethylene sheet + CFB box; T6: plastic vial containing 8-HQS (25 ppm) + wrapping with butter paper + CFB box; and T7: plastic vial containing 8-HQS (25 ppm) + wrapping with Brown Paper + CFB box. Among these packaging treatments, T5 resulted in a significantly longer vase life (7.33 days after 3 days of storage under ambient conditions). Postharvest parameters such as the PLW (6.58%), TSS (10.08%), MSI (78.28%), and wilting of the first floret (3.41 days) were found to be greatest in T5. However, in terms of biochemical parameters, T5 was similar to T6 in terms of carbohydrate content (63.49 and 62.08 mg/100 ml, respectively), protein content (15.23 and 15.18%, respectively) and anthocyanin content (6.37 and 6.30 mg/L, respectively).