Product: Berzelia, Button BushBotanical name: Berzelia lanuginosa

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Quality specifications for Australian wildflowers

Product: Berzelia, Button BushBotanical nam

e: Berzelia lanuginosa

Berzelia lanuginosa is a distinctive and versatile product.

It is typically sold when the terminal masses of spherical flower heads are still closed and green, looking much like masses of green peas. Each pea-like flowering head sits at the end of a short branch. Below the flowering heads are wispy side shoots of conifer-like foliage. The small, mid-green, needle-like leaves are massed in whorls going up the stem.

Some forms have the flower heads positioned at the stem tips, while others have flower heads extending some distance down the stem.

Florists use Berzelia at a range of maturities, ranging from small individual flower heads (3 mm across) to still-green fully expanded heads (>5 mm across). As each flower head matures, individual cream to white flowers emerge to form a fluffy ball. Some markets accept the white product, or the intermediate stage when some balls are green and some are

white. Flowering Berzelia is less popular and has a shorter vase life.

Berzelia belongs to the family Bruniaceae, one of the few plant families that are endemic to the Cape floral kingdom and the Western Cape of South Africa. The closely related Brunia is also grown for the cut-flower trade.

The plant is a compact, evergreen, woody shrub that is very susceptible to root rot diseases. Browning of the leaves inside the bush is common and may be related to high humidity.

Berzelia may display grow-through or grow-past, where the shoots at the stem tip grow through the flower head.

There appears to be very little published information on this product.

A number of Berzelia species and selections are marketed. Some have larger individual flower heads (>1 cm across), while others have red wax on the flowering stems, or red-tinged flower heads.

Berzelia has a comparatively long vase life at the green stage. Hold stems in deep water or postharvest solution to avoid drying out. When the top of each ‘pea’ is brown, the product is old and should not be marketed.

Flowering season: June to November.

Typical vase life: 14–21 days (green stage); 7 days (white stage). Export can reduce the vase life, especially if the transport conditions are not cold, the product dries out or transport takes too long.

Other products to which this specification can be generally applied: Other varieties and selections of Berzelia lanuginosa, B. galpinii, B. nysna, B. squarrosa and Brunia species.

A number of different selections of Berzelia are available, including this one with red wax underneath the flower heads.

Typical bunches look like this:Some forms have flowers densely clustered at the tops of the stems, while others have flowers extending further down from the stem tips. Green product (left). White (flowering) product (right)

STAGES OF OPENING

COmmON dEFECTS

Too many leafy shoots on flowering stem and not enough

flower heads – discard

Shoot grow-through

Stage 1 Immature stage, acceptable in some

markets: each flower head is the size of a small pea

Stage 2Prime stage for green product, suitable for both export and domestic markets:

each flower head is the size of a pea

Sparse flowering on stem – check buyer preferences and

put more stems in bunches

Tip browning, flower masses poorly arranged – discard

Product: Berzelia, Button Bush

The stages shown apply to the product at market entry. Pay attention to the weather, time of year, and mode and duration of transport, because the flowers will continue to open during transport. You must consult with your target market to ensure that the flowers arrive at the desired stage. Both green product (round flower heads partly to fully sized but not open) and white product (individual florets making up the flower ball have opened) are marketable, but please ask your customer which product is expected.

Common defects to be avoided at market entry:

n Flower heads at various stages of maturity on same stem

n Browning of tips, stem or foliage

n Sparse flowering

n Deformed or ‘untidy’ flower heads (e.g. too many vegetative shoots)

n Grow-through

n Insect contamination (e.g. scale insects)

n Pale or yellowish foliage

n Wilted or dried-out product

n Curved stems

n Old product

STAGES OF OPENING

Stage 3Transition stage from green to white product (individual florets opening):

preferred by only some markets

Stage 4Latest stage for picking white product

(fluffy, creamy-white flower balls open): preferred by only some markets

Stage 5Overmature, significant grow through,

flower balls turning brown, centre of flower light brown: unaccepted

Deformed flower heads Curved stem – discard Bunch containing dried-out stem – avoid by keeping all stem ends

in deep water

Asymmetrical bunch – fix before marketing

Burnt flowers (most likely due to frost)

– discard

Leaf and stem browning – discard

Insect contamination (webbing caterpillar) – discard; avoid by managing insects in the field

before harvest

Dried-out stem (product looks dull)

– do not market

FLOWERS

Appearance Masses of deep-green, pea-like flower heads at stem tips or along upper sections of stems.Multi-headed stems may reach a head diameter of 7–8 cm.No grow-through of vegetative shoots.

When to harvest

Masses of flower heads large, partly to fully expanded, depending on market demand, but with each pea-like flower head at least 5 mm across (the size of a small pea).The market accepts a broad range of maturities, from green to white (fully flowering), but ensure buyer requirements are met.Avoid harvesting when flowers are wet.

Damage No asymmetrical, deformed or damaged flower heads.No apparent pest or disease damage.Avoid spindly stems; stems with sparse flower heads or few flowering branches; poorly arranged, damaged or aborted heads; and stems with large volume of foliage in relation to flowering heads.No wilting.

Contamination Product free of grit and soil, weeds or weed seeds, living or dead insects, and signs of insects or spiders, such as webbing.

Pests and diseases

No insects (especially scale insects and aphids).No sooty mould (caused by fungus growing on the honeydew excreted by scale insects or aphids).Discard any affected product.

LEAVES

Appearance Fresh mid-green.Minimum severe foliage discolouration (<5% by area).No brown foliage on marketed stem.

Damage Minimum evidence of pests, disease or other blemishes (<5%).Free of visible chemical residues.

STEMS

Appearance Rigid and strong enough to support blooms.Bend <15°.Neatly cut end.No tip dieback.No rusty-brown discoloured stems.

Harvest Remove leaves from at least the lower 10–15 cm or one third of the stem.

RECOMMENDED HANDLING AT HARVEST

During harvest, minimise drying out and exposure to heat – pick when it is cool, and place straight into buckets of clean potable water. Move cut stems promptly to a cool, shaded packing area.

GRADING AND BUNCHING

Processing Reject any contaminated stems.Remove any flower heads retained from previous year.Sort stems according to flower maturity, length and thickness.Prepare bunches to buyer requirements.Recut stems.Tie bunches.Carry out postharvest disinfestation (dipping) if required.Add sleeves if required.Pack.Return packed bunches to cool room.

Stem length According to market demand.

Bunching The number of stems per bunch varies, and is determined by their size, the stem diameter, and market and buyer requirements.There is no prescribed stem diameter in relation to the length of the stem. However, presentation is important, so for example if 5 stems make a thin-looking bunch, then increase bunch size. Stay consistent for the grade and make all bunches the same.Number of ties: 2.Especially for export, line up the flower heads so they are even across the top of the bunch.Stems should be approximately the same diameter within a bunch, with the cut ends aligned and tied firmly near the base.

Stems per bunch

Stem length (cm) for export

No. stems per export bunch

(av. 350 g bunch)

Stem length (cm) for

domestic market

No. stems per domestic

bunch (av. 350–400 g

bunch)

100 5–10 70 (400 g) 10

80 (usual length)

5–10 60 (400 g) 10

60 (usual minimum for

export)

5–10 50 (350 g) 10–15

50 5 30–40 (300 g) 15–20

40 5

Sleeves Sleeves are optional but may help to maintain quality by improving product appearance and making it easier to pack. Select the sleeve size to suit the bunch size.

Product: Berzelia, Button Bush

HOLDING AND STORAGE

Cooling Effective cooling soon after harvest is important to retaining quality and maximising vase life. There are two options:• Cool, process, cool – for example, remove field

heat by cooling flowers immediately on entry into shed to 10 °C in buckets of solution, process flowers (bunch, grade), and then cool to 2–4 °C by either forced-air cooling (if boxed) or holding overnight in a cool room in postharvest solution.

• Process within 1 hour of cutting, and then cool to 2–4 °C by either forced-air cooling for 20–30 minutes (if boxed) or holding overnight in a cool room in postharvest solution (if in buckets).

Forced-air cooling of packed flowers is ideal for large volumes of product.

Temperature and humidity

Hold in a high-humidity cool room (95%) at 2–4 °C until ready to process, for at least 12 hours or preferably overnight.Another way of achieving high humidity is to cover the flowers with plastic sleeves or plastic sheeting.If necessary, hold in cool room at 2–4 °C for up to 2 days.

Postharvest solutions

Hydration solution: Clean potable water. Avoid sugar.Postharvest solution: Same as hydration solution. No extra treatments are recommended.To increase water uptake and improve hydration it may be worth holding the stems in deep water (e.g. 20 cm).

Longer-term storage

If necessary, hold at 2–4 °C for up to 7 days.If holding for longer, you may need to treat with a fungicide to protect against botrytis.

PACKAGING

Pack bunches of the same stem number together.Put bunches of similar length together, and ensure all bunches meet this specification.Pack bunches with flower heads at each end of the box and stems in the middle to avoid damaging flower heads.Pack bunches firmly but ‘springy’ so the product will not move and be damaged. Do not pack too tightly, owing to the high risk of leaf yellowing if product overheats.As Berzelia is a very heavy product, use smaller boxes.Cool packaged flowers to 2–4° C before transport.

LABELLING AND DOCUMENTATION

Label boxes and buckets as recommended in Postharvest Manual* or as required by customer.Ensure box contents are exactly the same as specified in the documentation and on the end of the box.

TRANSPORT

Refrigerated vehicle at 2–4 °C.

COMMON POSTHARVEST PROBLEMS Refer to Postharvest Manual* for general advice.

Disinfestation:

Fungal decay in storage due to botrytis (grey mould)

Insects (for export)

Use preharvest fungicide sprays during wet weather, which favours development of botrytis.Use preharvest insecticide sprays to reduce the pest population at harvest.Dip flowers that are to be packaged and held for any significant length of time (export) in a registered fungicide and insecticide solution with added wetting agent for not less than 1 minute, then dry naturally for 2 hours to ensure thorough disinfestation.ORFumigate flowers with a registered product before dispatch. Berzelia is very sensitive to methyl bromide (leaves go brown).Shake treated bunches gently before packing to dislodge any dead insects.

Yellowing and overheating in transit

Avoid packing too much product in the box, as the fine leaves will turn yellow if the product gets too hot in transit.

Ethylene sensitivity

Unknown.

Messages for importers and wholesalersn Recut stems and place into fresh water containing a registered biocide, and

avoid adding sugar.n To increase water uptake and improve hydration it may be worth holding the

stems in deep water (e.g. 20 cm).n Cool product before marketing or sending on and keep it cool (2–4 °C).n Maintain good hygiene and keep containers clean.

Messages for retailersn Recut stems and place into fresh water containing a registered biocide.n Use clean buckets and containers for displays.n Do not display flowers in areas that are exposed to full sun, draughts,

high temperatures or vehicle exhausts, and do not display near fruit and vegetables. Use refrigerated displays if possible.

n Tell the customer how to care for the flowers and emphasise the need for fresh clean water and clean vases.

Messages for consumersn Keep vase filled with fresh clean water. Check daily, as flowers can use a lot

of water. Change the water at least every second day. Always use clean vases and clean water.

n Do not display in areas that are exposed to full sun, draughts or high temperatures. Keep as cool as possible without freezing.

Authors: Bettina Gollnow and Dr Ross Worrall. Photographs by: Lowan Turton and Dr Ross Worrall. This publication is one of a series of Quality Specifications for Australian Wildflowers. ISSN 1440-6845. ISBN 978-1-74254-009-2. RIRDC Publication No. 10/036. www.rirdc.gov.au *The Postharvest Manual is the manual ‘Postharvest Handling of Australian Flowers from Australian Native Plants and Related Species’, 2nd edition, 2010. ISBN 978-1-74254-000-9. RIRDC Publication No.10/027.Both publications were developed by RIRDC Project No. PRJ-000331.

SUPPORTING INDUSTRY PARTNER: The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors.© 2010 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the RIRDC Publications Manager on phone 02 6271 4165.

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