Influence of climatic factors on emission of flower volatiles in situ

✍ Scribed by Henrik Byrial Jakobsen; Carl Erik Olsen

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 673 KB
• Volume: 192
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0032-0935
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00198572

✦ Synopsis

A device has been developed for determining the influence of temperature, irradiance and relative air humidity on the emission of flower volatiles in situ. The compounds emitted from flowers of Trifolium repens L. are mainly products of cinnamic-acid metabolism. Phenethyl acetate was the dominant compound in the fragrance picture. Additionally, a number of sesquiterpenes were identified in the emissions. All compounds were emitted in a rhythmic manner with a maximum at 7-12 h after the light is switched on. Temperature had a strong effect on the the quantity of fragrance in the headspace. Emission at 10~ was significantly lower than at 15~ and 20~ This difference can be attributed to a temperature effect on the secretion of volatiles rather than on the evaporation rate of volatiles. Light influenced fragrance emission significantly, the most intense emission being noted at high irradiances. No effect of relative humidity on fragrance emission could be detected. The composition of the fragrance picture was not influenced by the climatic factors. Emission was controlled by the light and dark intervals rather than by the endogenous clock.