A rose is a rose is a rose. Not anymore - at least, for the floriculture industry. For them, a rose should smell good, must be beautiful and everlasting.
However, the hunt for the perfect rose is still on. In fact, the rose-dominated, cut flower industry today is confronted by a peculiar dilemma: fragrance vs vase life.
Till now researchers were not able to unravel the mystery. Either you have a sweet smelling rose that wilts within a couple of days, or the long limbed beauty that lasts for days but is devoid of fragrance.
During the Flora Expo 2006, India's President A P J Abdul Kalam threw the gauntlet at researchers in the flower business. He told them anyone attempting to develop a rose that have both an extended vase life and sweet smell would have three hectares in the sprawling grounds of the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the experiment. Till now, no one has responded.
According to researchers, the culprit is the ethylene gas that is emitted by the flower, which speeds up the ageing -
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