Effects of different plant growth regulators and chemicals spray on post harvest physiology and vase life of heliconia inflorescence cv. Golden Torch

Abstract

Effects of post harvest spray application of plant growth regulators, gibberellic acid (GA) and benzyl adenine (BA), alar (Daminozide) and chemicals like bovine serum albumin (BSA) and potassium permagnate (KMnO4) on post harvest quality of heliconia inflorescence were investigated. Post harvest spray treatments significantly influenced post harvest quality and life of heliconia inflorescence as compared to control. Spray treatments of GA (100 mg l−1) and BSA (50 mg l−1) effectively increased water uptake and retained fresh weight of cut inflorescence. The same treatments also reduce the levels of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) enzymatic activity and decreased the lipid peroxidation (measured as TBARS) in the bract tissue. Percent absolute integrity of bract cell membrane (PAI) was also high in GA (100 mg l−1) and BSA (50 mg l−1) spray treated cut inflorescence on 8th, 10th and 12th day of vase life. Post-harvest spray treatment of GA (100 mg l−1) showed significant increase (by almost twofold) in the vase life of heliconia inflorescence as compared to control. These results suggest that post-harvest spray of GA (100 mg l−1) or BSA (50 mg l−1) maintains higher inflorescence fresh weight, improve water uptake and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity, stabilizes absolute integrity of cell membrane leading to a delay in bract cell death in heliconia inflorescence cv. Golden Torch.