Among other places, Kenya-grown roses travel to the Netherlands by plane. Transport by sea is more sustainable and cheaper, yet it takes a longer time to reach a destination, which doesn't always benefit the quality of the flowers.
An exploratory study by the Business Units Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University & Research shows that even when the same post-harvest treatment protocol is applied and the transport conditions are the same, there are still differences in how the flowers perform at their final destination. These differences are caused by both genetic factors and growing conditions.
The research was conducted in the framework of a Seed Money Project of the Topsector Horticulture & Propagation Materials; involving various partners from the industry and with the support of the Agricultural counsellor in Kenya.
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