Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Dr. Gadde Jyothi, Dr. A Girwani, Dr. P Prasanth, Dr. D Saidanaik and D. Srinivasachary

Abstract:
An experiment was conducted on value addition of gypsophila flowers at Floricultural research station, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during 2019 and 2020. Gypsophila flowers tinted with various food dyes viz., Lemon yellow, Apple green, Orange red and rose pink@ 3% concentrations by stem absorption, dipping and spraying method revealed that the interactions of the treatments due to food dyes and methods of application recorded maximum percentage of flowers tinted (92.00%) was recorded in the treatment D₁M₁ (Lemon yellow by stem absorption) and lowest (65.33%) in D₄M₂ (Orange red by dipping method) at 3% concentrations respectively. The highest mean value for vaselife of flowers (5.00 days) was recorded in M₁ (Stem absorption method) and lowest value (3.83 days) in M₃ (Spraying method). Among drying methods at ambient conditions, hot air oven and micro wave oven with fine sand and silica gel as media, embedded drying of gypsophila flowers with silica gel kept at micro wave conditions for 180 °C for 60 sec. recorded maximum percentage of moisture loss (84.43%) in the treatment T₇ (Control) (Air drying under shade) and minimum value (45.66%) in T₆ (Embedded drying in silica gel kept in Micro wave oven) and maximum over all acceptability (4.60 score) was recorded in the treatment in the treatment T₆ (Embedded drying in silica gel kept in Micro wave oven at 180 °C) minimum overall acceptability (1.30 score) were recorded in the treatment air drying under shade (control).The tinted, dried gypsophila flowers recorded maximum storage life in the display material where in flowers are packed with acrylic boxes (5.0 score) compared to glass material cases, photo frames, shadow boxes and resin moulds.