Effects of silver nanoparticles, chemical treatments and herbal essential oils on the vase life of cut alstroemeria (Alstroemeria‘Summer Sky’) flowers

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of some chemical compounds on the post-harvest life of alstroemeria cut flowers. The experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments were: Nano-silver (1, 3, 5 and 10 mg l−1), salicylic acid (30, 50, 200 and 300 mg l−1), spermine (5, 10 and 20 mg l−1), essential oils of dill (5, 10, 50 and 100 mg l−1) and cumin (5, 10, 50 and 100 mg l−1) which were applied as pre-harvest, pulsing and continuous methods. These were selected on the basis of a literature review on the post-harvest life of different cut flowers. The evaluated traits were: the duration of vase life, destruction of carotenoids, peroxidase, ionic leakage of leaves and petals, enumeration and identification of bacteria in the vase solution. The most ideal condition of the traits was found for those flowers that were treated with 10 mg l−1 of Nano-silver prior to harvest. Also, salicylic acid, spermine and essential oils of cumin and dill had the desired effects. Additionally, 11 different colonies of bacteria such as E. coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Proteus, Serratia, Citrobacter, and 5 others were identified.