INFLUENCE OF PRESERVATIVE SOLUTIONS ON VASE LIFE AND QUALITY OF ROSE cv. LINCOLN

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the laboratory of Department of Horticulture, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur during the period of 29th November to 14th December, 2016. The main objective of this research is to increase the vase life and quality of cut roses by using different preservative solutions. The single factor experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with five replications. In the experiment, flowers were kept in four preservative solutions viz., T1= water (control), T2= sucrose (2%), T3= 8-hydroxyquinoline sulphate (200 ppm) T4= silver nitrate (150 ppm). Flowers were monitored over a period of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 days of storage. Parameters studied in the experiment include: flower head diameter, solution uptake, transpiration loss, TSS, relative fresh weight, petal fresh weight (g), petal dry weight (g), petal wilting, petal discoloration, petal blackening, bent neck, solution turbidity, and vase life. In all cases, rapid loss of weight was recorded in the flowers kept in water (control) and within 7 DAPs all the flowers wilted. In contrary, flowers kept in different preservatives remained fresh upto 9 DAPs maintaining good solution uptake and transpiration loss. Solution uptake, relative fresh weight, percent dry weight of flower was maximum with the solution of AgNO3 than those kept in other preserving solutions. Different quality parameters like petal wilting, petal discoloration, petal blackening and bent neck were also significantly minimum in cut roses preserved in AgNO3 solution followed by 8-HQS, sucrose and control, respectively in different DAPs. Overall, flowers kept in AgNO3 solutions showed better postharvest quality and maximum vase life (16.6 days) than other preservatives.