ISSN: 0972-1045

Evaluating the effectiveness of tinting with various food dyes for enhancing the value and quality of ornamental kale genotypes

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 2025, 27(1): 82-88.

Evaluating the effectiveness of tinting with various food dyes for enhancing the value and quality of ornamental kale genotypes

Shabnam Pangtu¹, Puja Sharma¹, Sita Ram Dhiman¹, Mast Ram Dhiman², Bharati Kashyap¹ and Rohit Chhabra³

¹Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, HP, India, ²ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Regional Station, Katrain, Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. ³Department of Botany and Environment Science, DAV University Jalandhar, Punjab. ^{Corresponding e-mail:}shabnam.pangtu34@gmail.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2025.v27i01.16

Key words: Value addition, genotypes, ornamental, tinting, dye

Abstract: Tinting is a crucial technique for enhancing the visual appeal of flowers and increasing their market value. This study aimed to standardize the use and concentration of food dyes for tinting various ornamental kale genotypes. Conducted at Dr. YS Parmar UHF in Nauni, Solan, H.P., the research focused on assessing how different food dyes and their concentrations influenced coloration. In this experiment, three genotypes (Kt OK-2, Kt DH-19, and Nagoya) were tinted with food dyes at two concentrations viz., 3% and 5% for 24 hours. The results revealed that tinting with Apple Green dye for 24 hours achieved the maximum vase life, the shortest time to visible colour appearance, and the lowest dye solution uptake. Overall, all the dyes proved effective for tinting Ornamental Kale. Among the genotypes, 'Kt OK-2' produced the most visually appealing results. Thus, tinted stems provide a wider spectrum of colours while boosting the product’s market value, offering increased financial benefits to florists through value addition.