Long term lily scale bulblet storage: Effects of temperature and storage in polyethylene bags

Collections of lily genotypes are usually maintained by yearly planting, harvesting and storage of the bulbs. To facilitate this maintenance, a storage method has been developed for a collection of lily genotypes, including Asiatic hybrids, Oriental hybrids, Lilium longiflorum and L. henryi. Scale bulblets were stored either dry, sealed air-tight in polyethylene bags, or in moist vermiculite in open polyethylene bags for a period of 2 yr. The decrease in mass, sprouting proportion and ion leakage or sprouting proportion alone were determined for treatments carried out at -2 degrees C, 0 degrees C and 17 degrees C. Sealing scale bulblets in polyethylene bags at -2 degrees C resulted in the smallest decrease in mass, the least ion leakage and the highest sprouting proportion after 2 yr of storage.