May 2014 issue of the Cornell Flower Bulb Research Program Research Newsletter:
Considering their economic importance, there has been relatively little research published on postharvest handling of cut lilies. Complicating this is the diversity of cultivar groups–Asiatics, orientals, LA hybrids, OT hybrids, longiflorum and others. And, the diversity within each group is large and constantly growing as new cultivars are released. Cultivation practices and production location (northern Europe vs. the US west coast vs. Florida vs. China vs. Japan) can be expected to impact postharvest quality and performance. In recent years, we have received many questions about postharvest handling of cut lilies. The answers to some questions are simple and straightforward, others are more complex. Some require new research and trials to answer.