Post-harvest characteristcs of gerbera cut flowers as influenced by preservative solutions and cold storage periods treatments

Abstract EN

The present work was carried out at the laboratories of Hort.

Dept., Agric.

Fac., Zagazig University, Egypt during ٢٠١٤ and ٢٠١٥ seasons to improve keeping quality of gerbera cv.

Rosamine cut flowers by using of pulsing, holding solutions and cold storage for several durations as well as their combination treatments.

Besides, studying these treatments affects on post harvest characters and water relation characters as well as some chemical constituents in gerbera cut flowers.

Pulsing solution treatments used were control distilled water (D.W.), sucrose (S) at ٥ % plus ٨-hydroxy quinolene sulphate (٨-HQS) at ٢٠٠ ppm for ١٨ hours, benzyladenine (BA) at ١٠ ppm + ٥% S + ٢٠٠ ppm ٨-HQS for ١٨ hours, silver thiosulphate (STS) ١:٤ mM for ٢٠ minutes then placed in ٥% S + ٢٠٠ ppm ٨-HQS for ١٨ hours, STS ١:٤ mM for ٢٠ minutes then placed in BA at ٢٥ ppm + ٥% S + ٢٠٠ ppm ٨-HQS for ١٨ hours and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) ٢٥٠ ppm for ١ hour then placed in BA at ٢٥ ppm + ٥% S + ٢٠٠ ppm ٨-HQS for ١٨ hours.

Furthermore, gerbera cut flowers were stored at ٤±١°C for ٠, ٥ or ١٠ days.

Whereas, holding solutions treatments used after storage period treatment were control distilled water (D.W.) and sucrose (S) ٢.٥% + ٨-hydroxyquroline sulphate (٨-HQS) at ٢٠٠ ppm + citric acid (CA) at ١٥٠ ppm, besides to the combination treatments between them.

The following data were recorded, post harvest characters (vase life), water relations (water balance) and chemical constituents (anthocyanin content, total sugars, total nitrogen and protein percentages) as well as correlation coefficient among these characters as affected by the combination between pulsing solution, storage periods and holding solution treatments used.

The obtained results came to the conclusion that, the longest vase life of gerbera and the highest quality cv.

Rosamine cut flowers were obtained by using the combination treatments between STS + S + ٨-HQS for ١٨ hours as pulsing solution and storage at ٤±١°C for ٠-time and ٥ days and holding solution tretments contained sucrose (٢.٥%) + ٨-hydrox quinolene sulphat (٢٠٠ ppm) + citric acid (١٥٠ ppm) compared to the other ones under study