Application of Different Dehydration Technology on Chrysanthemum for Quality Dry Flower Production under Terai Region of West Bengal, India

Flower is an integral part of human life and day by day the demand is increasing throughout the world. Though fresh flowers look attractive and become scented but it can’t be stored for long time, so, dry flower is the substitute of fresh flowers. Dry flowers are easy tohandle and it can be stored for a long time, hence, available for year roundsupply and post-harvest losses are very low.Twenty three different techniques can be applied for dry flower production, such as - Sun drying, shade drying, sand drying, silicagel drying, borax drying, corn meal drying, alum drying, glycerol drying, hot air oven drying, embedded drying in hot air oven, solar cooker dryingand embedded drying in solar cooker. The colours of initial fresh flowers were matched with RHS (Royal Horticulture Society) Colour Chart and observed as -Yellow group 7(A) and finalcoloursof dried flowers were observedas - T1 (22-B), T2 (15-D), T5 (22-B), T8 (14-C), T9 (15-B), T18 (19-A), T20 (22-A), T21 (18-C), T22 (18-B) meant Yellow orange group and T3 (13-B), T16 (13-B), T4 (11-A), T6 (9-B), T11 (9-B), T7 (13-C), T14 (13-C), T10 (10-A), T12 (8-A), T13 (12-A), T15 (12-A) meant Yellow group. Last two treatments like T17 (163-A) and T23 (162-A) showed Grey orange group. Maximum reduction infresh weight was noticed under T10(1.35g) treatment and minimum with T8(0.35g) treatment. The minimum days required for drying wasobserved under T5(4.17days) and T7(4.17days) treatments and maximum days requiredby T2(22.17days) treatment. Least moisture reduction in the finished product was observed in T8 (31.41%) whereas the moisture reduction was found highest inT10 [89.21(70.83)%] treatment.