Abscisic acid in relation to drought-stress in cut tulips

Dry-storage of cut tulips during storage and transportation affects the vase-life of the tulips negatively (Swart, 1991). Tulips exposed to drought-stress for 8 days showed an approximate loss in fresh weight of about 10%. If these tulips were transferred to water, they were capable of regaining their original weight within 1.5h. In the upper green leaf of these tulips, the ABA level increased with a factor 2 to 8 during drought-stress, depending on the culltivar used. Although the turgidity was regained within 1.5h after replacement in water, the ABA levels remained at a constant level during this time period. Tulips stored in water under similar conditions did not show an increase in ABA, indicating that the increase was due to drought-stress and not to chilling stress. This renders ABA a possible parameter to test if tulips had been stored dry for such a time period that the quality of the vase-life was affected