Expt 3: 1-Methylcyclopropene gas and
sachet treatment. Pre-treating Euphorbia milii
‘Gaia’, Polyscias fruticosa ‘Elegans’, and
Schefflera arboricola ‘Gold Capella’ plants
with 0.9 mLL–1 1-MCP for 5 h at 21 C before
a 3-d simulated shipment at 15 C significantly
reduced leaf abscission caused by exposure to
1 mLL–1 ethylene immediately after shipment
(Fig. 3). The inclusion of two EthylBloc
sachets that released 1-MCP into each shipping
box also protected plants against the postshipment
ethylene treatment. For plants not
exposed to ethylene, leaf abscission levels
were low (0.0% to 8.4%) and were not
reduced by 1-MCP pre-treatment. This experiment
also highlighted Euphorbia milii
‘Gaia’ as another ethylene-sensitive foliage
plant genotype.