Effect of Some Treatment Chemicals on Keeping Quality and Vase-life of Gebrera Cut Flowers

The experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different concentrations of Salicylic acid, Malic acid, Citric acid and Sucrose on keeping quality and vase life of gebrera cut flowers. In this study three levels of malic acid (0, 100 and 150 mg L-1 ), two levels of sucrose (0 and 3% w/v), three levels of salicylic acid (0 , 1.5 and 3 mM) and two levels of citric acid (0 and 150 mg L-1) were applied in a factorial arrangement, carried out in a complete randomized design on 144 gebrera cut flowers. The vase were placed in chambers at 19C, relative humidity about 70% and 14 h photoperiod that was maintained using fluorescent lamps (light intensity of 15 mol m-2 sec-1) at the top of the corolla. The recorded traits included Vase life, total chlorophyll content (SPAD reading), anthocyanin leakage, MDA content, ACC-Oxidase activity and water absorption. The results showed that malic acid, salicylic acid and sucrose treatments increased cut-flower water absorption, fresh weight and vase life, while decreasing MDA content, ACC-oxidase activity and membrane permeability together with total delaye of senescence and peroxidation of lipids. Maximum flower vase life was recorded in treatment with 150 mg L-1 malic acid+1.5 mM salicylic acid+sucrose 3%. A direct relationship between vase life and increasing of fresh weight and water uptake was observed as well.