PULSING WITH SUCROSE AND SILVER NITRATE ENHANCE WATER UPTAKE AND RESULT IN ALONG VASE LIFE IN TAIF ROSE CUT FLOWERS (Rosa damascena. CV. TRIGINTIPETALA)

Abstract

An experiment was carried out on Taif rose cut flowers cv. (Trigintipetala) to study the effect of pulsing with sucrose and silver nitrate (AgNO3) on vase life and other parameters. In the trial, sucrose and AgNO3 at 4 levels of concentrations (0, 3, 5 or 7% w/v sucrose), (0, 20, 30 or 50 ppm AgNO3) were tested alone as well as combination. The cut flowers were treated in three stages of maturity [bud (B), half opening (H.O) or complete opening (C.O)]. The pulsing times were 5, 10 or 24 hours, then transferred to distilled water as control. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design replicated thrice. The sucrose, 7% and AgNO3 30% individually recorded higher vase life of 17.2 and 15 days respectively. Whereas, their combinations (sucrose 7% × AgNO3 30%) was significantly superior to the rest of combination in keeping higher water uptake and retarded the chlorophyll as well as the carbohydrate degradation during the postharvest life and resulting in a highest vase life of 19.1 days.