Drying techniques a sustainable approach for flower preservation

Drying techniques are one of the best methods to preserve ornamental parts of plant especially flowers for their year round availability, longevity, quality, novelty, easy handling, low transportation cost as well as eco-friendly. Some of the methods of drying viz. air drying press drying, oven drying, glycerine drying, freeze drying, embedded drying etc. applied in preparation of decorative floral crafts items like cards, floral segments, wall hangings, landscapes, calendars, potpourris etc. for various purposes. The demand of these items has increased in such a way that India constitutes two thirds of dry flower export of the total floriculture exports and it offers a lot of opportunities for the floriculturist, entrepreneurs and industrialists etc. to enter in the global floricultural trade. This is the technique require diverse type of ornamental materials for promoting and producing raw materials for drying industry. The environmental factors viz. day length, temperature, rainfall etc. of particular area determine vegetation and flowering. Diversifications in these factors compel to produce diverse range of ornamental materials which provide great opportunities for rural as well as urban people to engage themselves in drying industry. It is not only flowers but also other plant parts viz. foliage, branches, seed pods, grains, cones, nuts, berries, fruits, etc. can be dried and marketed to generate job and self employment.