ABSTRACT
Ornamental plants and cut flowers encompass natural living beauty that enriches the value of human life. Increasing worldwide demand for high quality ornamental produce requires due attention by industry to postharvest handling and disease management. The highly perishable nature of flowers and foliage plants exposes them to high postharvest losses. Due to their firmness and softness, flowers are more vulnerable to various biotic and abiotic conditions during and after harvest. Approximately 10−30% of the total crop yield of cut flowers produced in the world is lost due to postharvest diseases. Postharvest life of cut flowers is affected by several preharvest and postharvest factors. Preharvest and postharvest disease management for floricultural produce is largely achieved via the application of fungicide or bactericide. Conversely, management of diseases through conventional chemical compounds develops the risk of resistance via new pathogen races. There is also growing public concern over the use of fungicide with reference to environmental and human risk. Due to these reasons, novel preharvest and postharvest disease management strategies for cut flowers and ornamental plants have been developed by researchers. The commonly known as safe host defence inducers may possibly afford an alternative solution to socially and environmentally less desirable control using conventional chemical compounds. In addition, there are many biological compounds and microorganisms that have an effect on disease development via antagonism and in many instances help in integrated disease management strategies. The present chapter offers an overview on postharvest handling and disease management of diverse pathogens infesting cut flowers and ornamental plants.
