Meta-analysis of new technologies in post-harvest of tropical flowers

Abstract The ornamental plant sector is growing due to the development of new species and technologies. The focus of research is to extend the shelf life of cut flowers to maintain quality and customer satisfaction. Techniques such as storage at low temperatures, use of preservative solutions, and new technologies such as nanotechnology can help maintain the quality of the floral stem. The present review aims to analyze various techniques used to extend the post-harvest shelf life of floral stems. For this purpose, a systematic search was conducted on major indexing platforms for studies published in 2023, which were subjected to a meta-analysis. The global effect size and moderator effects were calculated to assist in decision-making for future studies in floriculture. The results indicated that the addition of preservatives to solutions, variations in storage temperature, and the use of electromagnetic fields were the most effective techniques in extending the shelf life of cut flowers. However, techniques such as dry conditioning and the use of coating films did not show significant results in maintaining commercial quality. It was found that conservative solution research is still the main focus of research at major cut flower technology centers. The meta-analysis highlights the importance of further deepening and/or improving research on techniques that have shown less effective results, and developing new technologies to prolong the vase life of floral stems in order to improve post-harvest quality. Resumo O setor de plantas ornamentais está crescendo devido ao desenvolvimento de novas espécies e tecnologias. O foco da pesquisa é estender a vida útil das flores cortadas para manter a qualidade e a satisfação do cliente. Técnicas como armazenamento em baixas temperaturas, uso de soluções conservantes e novas tecnologias como a nanotecnologia podem ajudar a manter a qualidade da haste floral. A presente revisão tem como objetivo analisar diversas técnicas utilizadas para prolongar a vida útil de hastes florais pós-colheita. Para tal, foi realizada uma busca sistemática nas principais plataformas indexadoras de estudos publicados em 2023, os quais foram submetidos a uma meta-análise. Calculou-se o tamanho do efeito global e o efeito por moderadores, com o intuito de auxiliar na tomada de decisão para futuros estudos na floricultura. Os resultados indicaram que a adição de conservantes nas soluções, variações nas temperaturas de armazenamento e o uso de