The present study was conducted at the laboratory of Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University during the two seasons of 2010- 2011, 2011-2012. to evaluate the effects of five preservative solutions as pulsing applications, four cold storage periods and three holding solution treatments as well as their interactions on vase life and quality of chrysanthemum(Dendranthema grandiflorum Kitam.) cv. "White Zambla" cut flowers. Pulsing solution treatments were 1- Distilled water (dw) for 24 h as control, 2- silver thiosulphate (STS) at 0.4mM for 30minutes then 10ppm Benzyladenine (BA) for 24 hours. 3- STS at 0.4mM for 30minutes then 20ppm gibberellic acid (GA3) for 24 hours 4- Aminooxy acetic acid (AOA) at 4mM + GA3 at 20ppm for 24 hours. 5- STS at 0.4mM for 30minutes then pulsed in BA at 10ppm + GA3at 20ppm + AOA at 4mM for 24 hours. Cut flowers were subjected to pulsing treatments just before cold storage. The four tested cold storage periods were without cold storage (control), storage for 7, 14 or 21-days at 2±1°C and 65-80% relative humidity .After subjecting flowers to pulsing and storage treatments, treated cut flowers were subjected to three holding solution treatments i.e., 1- Distilled water (dw) as control, 2 - Sucrose (S) at 2% + citric acid (CA) at 100ppm + silver nitrate (AgNO3) at 25 ppm and 3- Sucrose at 2% + 8-hydroxy-quinoline sulphate at 100ppm + citric acid at 100ppm to record the effects on vase life and quality of chrysanthemum cut flowers. All tested pulsing solutions significantly increased vase life, florets opening % and change percentage in fresh weight of cut flowers, decreased contamination in vase solution, improved water balance for cut flowers, and increased total sugars content in florets. Pulsing treatment of STS at 0.4mM for 30minutes then pulsed in BA at 10ppm + GA3 at 20ppm + AOA at 4mM for 24 hours had the most favorable effect in this respect. Also, all tested holding solution treatments increased vase life, florets opening % and change percentage in fresh weight of cut flower spike, decreased contamination in vase solution, improved water balance for cut flower spikes, and increased total sugars content in florets, with superiority for the treatment of sucrose at 2% + 8 -hydroxy-quinoline sulphate at 100ppm + citric acid at 100ppm. As the cold storage period was increased from zero-time to 21-days, the above mentioned characters of cut flower longevity and quality were decreased. When pulsing applications interacted with cold storage periods then subjected to holding solution treatments, the highest quality and the longest vase life of chrysanthemum cut flowers were obtained under the interaction treatments of pulsing in STS at 0.4mM for 30minutes then pulsed in BA at 10ppm + GA3 at 20ppm + AOA at 4mM for 24 hours without cold storage or with storage for 7 -days at 2±1°C and treated with holding solution containing sucrose at 2% + 8-hydroxy quinoline sulphate at 100ppm + citric acid at 100ppm as compared to control and the other interaction treatments in both seasons of this study.
|
