EthylBloc at the nursery, sent to a major supermarket distribution warehouse, then shipped to a local supermarket in Davis. Ethylene exposure causes petal inrolling of Kalanchoe flowers, and it is clear that EthylBloc made a huge difference in the quality of these Kalanchoe plants handled through a standard marketing chain. The floral merchandising manager for the supermarket chain commented: “This experiment has convinced me to require all vendors serving our distribution facility to use EthylBloc...for all crops.” Commercial use of EthylBloc The commercial formulation of EthylBloc, sold as EthylBloc® by Biotechnologies for Horticulture (Walterboro, S.C.), is now registered for use in the U.S.A. EthylBloc® is a white powder that releases EthylBloc gas when mixed with water or a special mixing solution (a common detergent) provided by the manufacturer. For practical use of EthylBloc®, growers and shippers will require the following:
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A sealed space A system for releasing EthylBloc from the EthylBloc® powder Information on how much EthylBloc® to use Sealed space Because EthylBloc is a gas, the treatment needs to be applied inside a sealed space. We have treated plants and cut flowers inside plastic tents taped to the floor with duct-tape, inside coolers (without the refrigeration turned on) and with the doors taped shut, inside trucks (with the door duct-taped), and even inside a bathroom with the doors and windows taped shut. In large spaces, it is recommended that there be a fan inside the space to circulate the air and ensure rapid and uniform distribution of the EthylBloc. The manufacturer provides directions for application of EthylBloc in greenhouses, storage rooms, coolers, truck trailers and shipping boxes with open vents. They also include instructions for building dedicated EthylBloc treatment chambers for plants or cut flowers using 4-6 mil polyethylene. A system for releasing EthylBloc from the EthylBloc® powder EthylBloc is released from the powder by adding water or the mixing solution provided by the manufacturer. For small spaces (pallet cover, small tent) simply dripping cold water onto the powder in a tray or jar will be sufficient. You’ll need to find a simple way to add the water—we use a cheap disposable hypodermic syringe to inject water through the
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