Abstract
Abstract Eremurus spectabilis is a new, commercially valuable specialty cut flower, but little is known about the applicable treatments to extend the vase-life and maintaining the ornamental quality of this flower. Therefore, the present study was aimed at investigating the impacts of nano-silver, essential oils, and chemical treatments on keeping ornamental quality and vase-life of cut inflorescences of Foxtail lily. The cut inflorescences were placed in different vase solutions containing salicylic acid (100 and 200 mg L-1), methyl jasmonate (25 and 50 mg L-1), silver thiosulfate (0.1 mM) plus isothiazolinone (0.001 and 0.005 mL L-1), nano-silver (5, 10, and 15 mg L-1), thymol (75 and 120 mg L-1), and menthol (75 and 120 mg L-1), which were applied as continuous and pulsing methods. According to the results, all treatments considerably improved the post-harvest performance of Foxtail lily cut flowers. Although there were no significant differences among nano-silver (NS) treatments, the cut inflorescences kept in vase solution containing 10 mg L-1 of NS exhibited the longest vase life (~14 days) and the best ornamental quality. Nano-silver treatment followed by silver-thiosulfate significantly improved solution uptake by flowering inflorescences, thereby delaying the water balance loss and keeping relative fresh weight. Furthermore, 50 mg L-1 methyl jasmonate- and 75 mg L-1 menthol-treated cut inflorescences exhibited significantly higher vase-life longevity by ~ 6 and 4 days, total soluble solutes by 28.38% and 19.12%, and solution uptake rate by 76.46% and 140.6%, respectively, as compared to control. Overall, 10 mg L-1 NS can be recommended as a commercial preservative solution to delay flower senescence and improve the vase life and keeping the quality of foxtail cut inflorescence.
Highlights
Desert candle or foxtail lily (Eremurus spectabilis), an ornamental plant of the Asphodelaceae family, is one of the indigenous plants of temperate regions, in which spike-type inflorescences (Figure 1C) are found in several colors (Schiappacasse et al, 2013; Ahmad et al, 2014)
Statistical analysis Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed by SAS software and means were separated at 1% or 5% levels of probability using Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD)
Results of this study revealed that silver thiosulfate (STS) plus IZT treatment had positive effects on water relation and vase life of cut foxtail lily inflorescences
Summary
Desert candle or foxtail lily (Eremurus spectabilis), an ornamental plant of the Asphodelaceae family, is one of the indigenous plants of temperate regions, in which spike-type inflorescences (Figure 1C) are found in several colors (Schiappacasse et al, 2013; Ahmad et al, 2014). This plant is well recognized for its starfish-like root system (Figure 1B) and the long and narrow leaves (Figure 1A). These preservatives must include multi components, germicides and sugar (Akhtar, et al, 2021)
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