Travel and Tourism have been considered one of the world's largest economic sectors, and garden visiting has been suggested as an important segment (niche) on the tourism industry. In this context, the aim is to analyze gardens as a great potential for tourism, in their different specificity. For tourism, all kinds of greenspaces may be used as historic, botanical or private gardens, and parks, besides events as garden and flower festival and exhibitions. All of them are responsible for attracting many visitors. This type of tourism has been increasing since tourists are eager for new and unique experiences that contribute to the memory and the identity of a nation and gardens may allow this to happen.

The use of chemicals in storage solutions has proved beneficial for the postharvest conservation of cut flowers. However, the effect of these solutions on the water relations of some species is still unknown. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the water relations in calla lily flowers harvested at different stages and maintained under postharvest solutions with different chemicals. The flower stems were harvested in two stages of spathe opening: the early stage (cartridge) and the 1/3 flower opening stage. The flower stems were dipped in solutions with water (control), 100 mg L-1 sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), 100 mg L-1 aluminum sulfate [Al2(SO4)3], 200 mg L-1 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) and 10 mg L-1 silver nitrate (AgNO3). Over 9 days, the floral stems were kept in a room at 21 ± 2 °C and 75% ± 5% relative humidity and evaluated for changes in the pH of the solution and the water absorption, transpiration and commercial quality of the cut flowers. The addition of conservation substances to the storage solution induced spathe opening at both harvest stages and promoted water absorption by the stems, thus increasing the efficiency of flower hydration. The water balance maintenance was best for stems stored in water and storage solutions with Al2(SO4)3.

Due to the importance of the flower and ornamental plants sector in Brazilian agribusiness, studies that analyze the situation of its different segments can help to understand and establish policies and actions that support and stimulate their development. The objective was to analyze the profile and behavior of consumers in the productive chain of flowers and ornamental plants. For this, a questionnaire with direct questions was prepared and directed to consumers of flowers and ornamental plants. The application was made personally with direct approaches in places of great movement and specialized technological fairs, and also online through social media, using Google platform. The results were analyzed by comparing qualitative variables using the Chi-Square test. It was identified that the profile of consumers is concentrated in women who live in large cities, consuming an average of R$ 100.00 to R$ 200.00 over a period of one year.

Brazil is dependent on importation of fertilizers, especially the potassics. Rocks and minerals that contain nutrients have a potential for use in agriculture as fertilizer, especially those of slow solubilization and that exhibit residual effect. In this context, the objective was to assess the feasibility of glauconite rock as potassium source for the cultivation of ornamental sunflower. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions arranged in an entirely randomized design, in a 4x4 + 4 factorial scheme, with four replicates and one plant per plot. Four glauconite-based fertilizers were used as a potassium source: fine grained glauconite, fine grained organo-mineral glauconite, coarse grained glauconite and coarse grained organo-mineral glauconite, in four doses, as well as an additional treatment with four doses of KCl, the principal conventional source of the nutrient. The height of the flower stalks, the diameter of the stem and floral capitulum, the number of cultivation days and post-harvest durability were evaluated. The application of KCl yielded the production of flower stems with greater height and larger capitulum diameter in relation to the supply of glauconite. Among the glauconite based fertilizers, the fine grained organo-mineral product provided the best flower charateristics. The postharvest commercial durability of the flower stalks was higher in plants that received the glauconite and fine grained organo-mineral glauconite. The fine grained organo-mineral glauconite surpasses all other alternative sources of potassium in relation to the agronomic characteristics evaluated.