Abstract
<em>Thalictrum aquilegifolium </em>L. ‘Black Stockings,’ with its interesting foliage, is used as a cut greenery. We tested the postharvest longevity of the foliage after different 24-hr conditioning treatments with nanosilver (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 mg dm<sup>−3</sup>) and 20 g dm<sup>−3</sup> sucrose and compared the results with those obtained using the standard preservative (200 mg dm<sup>−3</sup> 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate + 20 g dm<sup>−3</sup> sucrose) and Floralife 200 Clear. The longevity of the foliage and the content of assimilative pigments were evaluated and the functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus (F<sub>0</sub>, Fm, Fv/Fm) was analyzed. We found that leaf senescence, as determined by chlorophyll <em>a </em>and carotenoid content after 14 days of holding, was most effectively inhibited by the solution containing 5 mg dm<sup>−3</sup> nanosilver and sucrose. This solution increased the maximal quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) in the leaves.
Highlights
The highly competitive market for cut flowers and greenery requires consistently high-quality cuttings with the highest possible longevity
In addition to the solutions of nanosilver with sucrose, the standard preservative (8-HQC – 200 mg dm−3 supplemented with 20 g dm−3 sucrose) and Floralife 200 Clear at a concentration of 10 mL per L water and distilled water with 20 mg dm−3 sucrose were used
After the conditioning, the highest content of chlorophyll a was found in foliage treated with 20 and 15 mg dm−3 nanosilver with sucrose (23.9% and 22.2% higher, respectively, compared to the control) (Table 2)
Summary
The highly competitive market for cut flowers and greenery requires consistently high-quality cuttings with the highest possible longevity. For this reason, the conditioning of inflorescences or foliage is performed immediately after harvest (Skutnik, 1998). Skutnik (1998) reports that the standard preservatives do not always prolong the postharvest longevity of cut greenery, and in some species, they may negatively affect quality. Antimicrobial properties of silver have been recognized since ancient times, when silver vessels were used to contain food and water and silver was used to dress wounds (Łysakowska & Denys, 2009)
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