Extension of Postharvest Keeping Time of Antirrhinum majus L. Cut Flowers with Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract

Three percent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was diluted with deionized water (dH2O) to 0.75%, 0.38%, 0.19%, 0.09%, or 0.05% H2O2 plus 1.5% sucrose for use in evaluation of Antirrhinum majus L. (snapdragon) cut flowers. Other vase solutions used as controls included; 300 ppm 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate (8-HQC) plus 1.5% sucrose; dH2O plus 1.5% sucrose; and dH2O. A completely random design with 7 replicationss was used. Flowering stems of three commercial inbreds and one F1 hybrid of snapdragon were cut when the first five basal florets opened. Each stem was placed in an individual glass bottle containing one of the eight different treatments. Flowering stems were discarded when 50% of the open florets wilted, turned brown, or dried. Postharvest life was determined as the number of days from stem cutting to discard. Addition of H2O2 to vase solutions at rates of 0.19 and 0.09% resulted in postharvest life not different from that obtained with 8-HQC plus sucrose. Hydrogen peroxide plus sucrose extended postharvest life of snapdragon cut flowers 6 to 8 days over dH2O and 5 to 7 days over dH2O plus 1.5% sucrose.