Flower Quality Research Articles

Trehalose signaling regulates metabolites associated with the quality of rose flowers under drought stress

Drought is an environmental factor affecting the yield and quality of rose flowers, but the potential molecular regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, the physiological indexes and related compound contents of rose flowers were determined under drought stress, of which flower size, fresh/dry weight, and carbohydrate accumulation were significantly reduced, whereas the contents of total phenols, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, and volatile compounds increased compared with normal growth conditions. Transcriptome profiling identified that trehalose signaling may be involved in this process, and that the expression level of various trehalose anabolic pathway genes such as trehalose-6-phosphate synthases and trehalose phosphatases were repressed, whereas the contents of trehalose (Tre) and its precursor trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) decreased under drought stress. Furthermore, exogenous spraying of Tre and T6P could alleviate the wilting phenomenon caused by drought stress and promote the accumulation of starch, soluble sugar, and lignin in the petals. Results indicated that T6P or Tre, as a positive regulatory signal, improves the drought tolerance of rose plants and maintains the quality of rose flowers under drought conditions, which provides new insights into the effects of drought stress on flower quality.

Effects of ecological factors on the pollination biology and seed production of Salvia daiguii: A critically endangered ornamental species from China

Salvia constitutes one of the largest genera in the Lamiaceae, with approximately 1,000 species found worldwide, and is recognized for its high ornamental and medicinal value. Salvia daiguii is a multipurpose perennial herb that grows on cliffs in the Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China. Nevertheless, the pollination biology of vulnerable plants on cliffs, specifically the effects of abiotic factors on flower visitation and seed set, remains poorly understood. In this study, we observed the effects of biotic factors: flowering phenology and flower characteristics, flower longevity, nectar volume and concentration, pollen viability and stigma receptivity, pollinator visitation frequency, pollen remaining and deposition, and breeding systems, as well as abiotic factors: habitat fountain, temperature, and humidity, on the pollination and seed production of S. daiguii in two populations in Zhangjiajie City. The pollination biology results reveal that S. daiguii has a mixed mating system that depends on pollinators. The flower visitation and seed set of S. daiguii in the absence of natural fountain areas in Tianmenshan National Forest Park was scarcely affected by biotic factors. However, we observed a significant reduction in pollinator types, visitation frequency, and natural seed set of this population owing to abiotic factors, including the presence of a fountain habitat and increased humidity. Further, seed set in the Zhangjiaxi Ecological Forest Reserve was affected by both biotic (serious pollen limitation) and abiotic (higher population temperature) factors. We considered that pollinators types, flower visitation frequency, and natural seed set are vulnerable to the influence of ecological factors in fragmented habitats. Our results reveal the mechanisms contributing to the endangerment of species exemplified by S. daiguii and underscore the significance of conservation efforts for the sustainable use of other endangered species.

Bio-derived solvent based salt-responsive system for simultaneous extraction and in-situ enrichment of polysaccharides and phenolics from Carthamus tinctorius L. flower

The utilization of bio-derived solvents holds immense promise in the extraction of natural products. In the present study, a systematic evaluation was conducted to assess the performance of bio-derived solvents in simultaneously extracting polysaccharides and phenolic substances from Carthamus tinctorius L. flower. Among them, ethyl lactate (24.7%) exhibited superior efficacy. A comprehensive investigation was also conducted on the salt response behavior of ethyl lactate and its in-situ enrichment efficiency for polysaccharides and phenolics, demonstrating that the recovery yield, enrichment factor, and separation factor can be finely tuned by manipulating the system composition. Based on these findings, we have developed a highly efficient ultrasound-assisted method that is responsive to salt and enables simultaneous extraction and in situ enrichment of polysaccharides and phenolics. In comparison with the method in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020), the extraction yield of Carthamus tinctorius L. flower quality markers is increased by more than 1.14 times, while the extraction time is shortened by over 4 times. Additionally, the amount of solvent used is reduced by a factor of 5.73, eliminating the need for methanol and corrosive HCl that are harmful to the environment. The findings of this study will provide crucial theoretical guidance for the application of bio-derived solvents, demonstrating significant potential in terms of quality control and large-scale preparation of natural medicines.

Inhibitory Activities of Five Fungicides on Alternaria suffruticosae and Their Field Control Efficacy Against Tree Peony Black Spot.

Tree peony black spot (TPBS), mainly caused by Alternaria suffruticosae, is a common leaf disease on the ornamental peony, which poses a great threat to the flower buds in the current year and the flowering quality in the next year. However, there is only one fungicide registered for the control of this disease, difenoconazole. In order to avoid the severe problem of pathogen resistance caused by long-term use of difenoconazole, it is necessary to screen more chemical fungicides for the prevention and control of TPBS. In this study, the biological activities of flutolanil, phenamacril, pyraclostrobin, and boscalid on mycelial growth, conidial germination, germ tube elongation, and sporulation quantity of A. suffruticosae were determined, and the field control efficacy was tested to evaluate the preventive and therapeutic activities. Difenoconazole was used as a control simultaneously. The results showed that pyraclostrobin had the strongest inhibitory effects on the conidial germination, mycelium growth, germ tube elongation, and sporulation quantity, with the average EC50 values of 0.0517, 0.5343, 0.0008, and 0.8068 μg/ml, respectively. The inhibitory activity of flutolanil on the four developmental stages of A. suffruticosae was weaker than that of the other three fungicides. Compared with flutolanil, boscalid, the other succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor, had more strong inhibitory effects on the mycelial growth and sporulation quantity, with the average EC50 values of 3.8603 and 1.4760 μg/ml, respectively. Phenamacril had a moderate inhibitory level and had more inhibitory activity on conidial germination and germ tube elongation, with the average EC50 values of 31.5349 and 5.2597 μg/ml, respectively. All of the four fungicides had no significant effects on the shape of spores and germ tubes. The control fungicide difenoconazole had the strongest inhibitory activity on mycelial growth, and the average EC50 value was only 0.3297 μg/ml. However, its inhibitory activity on the other three growth stages was not high. In the field trials, pyraclostrobin had high control efficacy on TPBS even at low concentrations, reaching a minimum of 62.6293%, which was higher than that of difenoconazole. The other three fungicides had higher control efficacy at high concentrations but decreased significantly at low concentrations. Considering the dosage and control efficacy, pyraclostrobin was the first choice for the control of TPBS. Pyraclostrobin is the preferred alternative fungicide to difenoconazole for the prevention and control of TPBS in production.

Morpho-histology of co-occurrence of somatic embryos, shoots, and inflorescences within a callus of Limonium 'Misty Blue'.

This is the first attempt to report the co-occurrence of somatic embryos, shoots, and inflorescences and their sequential development from stem cell niches of an individual callus mass through morpho-histological study of any angiosperm. In the presence of a proper auxin/cytokinin combination, precambial stem cells from the middle layer of a compact callus, which was derived from the thin cell layer of the inflorescence rachis of Limonium, expressed the highest level of totipotency and pluripotency and simultaneously developed somatic embryos, shoots, and inflorescences. This study also proposed the concept of programmed cell death during bipolar somatic embryo and unipolar shoot bud pattern formation. The unique feature of this research was the stepwise histological description of in vitro racemose inflorescence development. Remarkably, during the initiation of inflorescence development, either a unipolar structure with open vascular elements or an independent bipolar structure with closed vascular elements were observed. The protocol predicted the production of 6.6 ± 0.24 and 7.4 ± 0.24 somatic embryos and shoots, respectively, from 400 mg of callus, which again multiplied, rooted, and acclimatised. The plants' ploidy level and genetic fidelity were assessed randomly before acclimatisation by flow cytometry and inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) marker analysis. Finally, the survivability and flower quality of the regenerated plants were evaluated in the field.

Pengaruh Kualitas Cahaya Dan Frekuensi Aplikasi Paclobutrazol Terhadap Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Tanaman Krisan (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Abstract - This study was to determine the effect of light quality and frequency of paclobutrazol application on the growth and yield of chrysanthemum plants. The research was conducted from February to April 2023 using factorial design and arranged in Split Plot Design consisting of Main Plot and Sub Plot. Main Plot was the effect of light quality using three different light colors, namely white light, red light, and blue light. Sub Plot was the frequency of paclobutrazol application which consists of 4 kinds, namely 0 times, 1 time, 2 times, and 3 times. Data analysis used in this study was analysis of variance with 5% confidence level. The results showed an interaction between the quality of light and the frequency of paclobutrazol application on the parameters of stem diameter and leaf area. Light quality had a good effect on the parameters of plant height, flower color, flower quality, number of flowers, number of leaves and flower diameter. The frequency of paclobutrazol application had a good effect on the parameters of plant height, flower color, flower quality, number of flowers, number of leaves and flower diameter. The best plant height was 106.39 cm, the highest number of leaves was 15.5, the best leaf area was 89.42 cm2, the best stem diameter was 0.41 inches, the best flower color with a score of 2.5, the best flower quality with a score of 2.8, the largest flower diameter was 7.93 cm, and the largest number of flowers was 5 flowers. Keywords: Light quality, Paclobutrazol, Chrysanthemum, Lamps

Effects of phosphine and plant extracts on flower thrips mortality and the quality of cut flowers

Effects of phosphine and plant extracts on flower thrips mortality and the quality of cut flowers

EFFECT OF HUMIC ACID AND MAXIGROW (ORGANIC FERTILIZER) ON GROWTH, FLOWERING AND YIELD OF SNAKE CUCUMBER (CUCUMIS MELO. L)

ABSTRACT: A field trial was implemented at the research center field at general directorate of agriculture, Dohuk Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan region in summer season of (2022-2023) to find out the impact of foliar application of humic acid at three levels (0, 2, and 4) ml L-1 and Maxigrow (an organic fertilizer) with three levels (0, 1, and 2) ml L-1 and their combinations on outgrowth, flowering and harvest of local snake cucumber. The experiment was organized following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) including three replicates. The data displayed that the individual dose of humic acid at (4) ml.L-1 significantly enhanced foliage traits [number of branches, stem diameter (cm), Leaf area (cm2), plant fresh weight (g), and chlorophyll content (SPAD)] as well as increased flowering characters [number of flowers after 30 days and number of flowers after 40 days] and yielded components [fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), and total yield (ton.ha-1)]. The same profound effect was exhibited by the singular dose of Maxigrow at concentration (2) ml.L-1. However, the highest mean values were produced from humic acid at concentration (4) ml.L-1 in combination with Maxigrow at concentration (2) ml.L-1 in comparison with control. The increased level of humic acid and Maxigrow is advised for organic productivity of local snake cucumber.

QUALITY OF IRRIGATION WATER , FOLIAR APPLIED SELENIUM AND SOIL POLYMER IN IMPROVING VEGETATIVE AND FLOWERING CHARACTERISTICS OF IRIS PLANTS.

The experiment was conducted in a green house at the Department of Horticulture and Landscaping design College of Agriculture engineering Sciences for the fall season 2020-2021 to determine the response of the Iris plant to bear the conditions of abiotic stresses by studying the effect of irrigation with saline water on the vegetative and flowering characteristics of the plant.The study included three factor, the first factor, the quality of irrigation water (main plots) and at three levels: (irrigation with water from the Tigris River 0.92 dm s-1(I0), alternating irrigation (one irrigation with saline water followed by irrigation with the water of the Tigris River(I1), Alternating irrigation (two irrigations with saline water, followed by irrigation with the water of the Tigris River(I2), The second factor is the addition of Polyacrylamide (0, 1.5,2.5) g of soil-1 his symbol(P0,P1.P2). The third factor is foliar applied selenium using three concentrations (0, 10,20) mg L-1 his symbol(S0,S1,S2) Results showed that that increasing salinity of irrigation water led to a decrease in all vegetative characteristics and flowering, increasing the efficacy of the enzyme Peroxidase and Proline, increasing both chlorine and sodium in the leaves. Spraying with selenium at a concentration of 20 mg L-1 as well as adding polymers at a concentration of 2.5 g led to an increase in the vegetative and flowering characteristics of the plant, reducing the elements chlorine and sodium in the leaves, and decreasing the effectiveness of the enzyme Peroxidase and Proline.

Non-destructive assessment of cannabis quality during drying process using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning.

Cannabis sativa L. is an industrially valuable plant known for its cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), renowned for its therapeutic and psychoactive properties. Despite its significance, the cannabis industry has encountered difficulties in guaranteeing consistent product quality throughout the drying process. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI), combined with advanced machine learning technology, has been used to predict phytochemicals that presents a promising solution for maintaining cannabis quality control. We examined the dynamic changes in cannabinoid compositions under diverse drying conditions and developed a non-destructive method to appraise the quality of cannabis flowers using HSI and machine learning. Even when the relative weight and water content remained constant throughout the drying process, drying conditions significantly influenced the levels of CBD, THC, and their precursors. These results emphasize the importance of determining the exact drying endpoint. To develop HSI-based models for predicting cannabis quality indicators, including dryness, precursor conversion of CBD and THC, and CBD : THC ratio, we employed various spectral preprocessing methods and machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), random forest (RF), and Gaussian naïve Bayes (GNB). The LR model demonstrated the highest accuracy at 94.7-99.7% when used in conjunction with spectral pre-processing techniques such as multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) or Savitzky-Golay filter. We propose that the HSI-based model holds the potential to serve as a valuable tool for monitoring cannabinoid composition and determining optimal drying endpoint. This tool offers the means to achieve uniform cannabis quality and optimize the drying process in the industry.

Metabolomics and quantitative descriptive analysis reveal the relationship between metabolites and taste attributes of flowers in two types of albino tea cultivars

Albino tea cultivars have a much higher flowering capacity than green leaf cultivars, and the sensory qualities of the flowers of albino tea cultivars are also unique. Whereas, the relationship of metabolic differences with taste quality in flowers of albino tea cultivars (temperature-sensitive cultivars Baiye 1 Hao and light-sensitive cultivars Huangjinya and Yujinxiang) (BY1H, HJY and YJX) are not clear currently. In this study, taste profiles and metabolic differences of flowers of three albino tea cultivars were analyzed by quantitative analysis, widely targeted metabolomics and sensory quantitative descriptive analysis. The taste of flowers of three tea cultivars has a certain bitter, astringency and slightly numbing, but also an umami and sweetness, making the overall flavor harmonious. BY1H has a slightly bitter taste and possesses higher levels of catechins, quercetin glycosides, myricetin glycosides and alkaloids, while YJX and HJY have a sweeter and more umami taste with higher levels of amino acids, nucleotides and their derivatives and organic acids. Notably, quercetin glycosides were found to be the specific compounds that distinguish Baiye 1 Hao from other flowers of tea cultivars. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the sensory and metabolic characteristics of flowers in two types of albino tea cultivars.

Apical Pinching of Zinnia Plants Increases Productivity and Quality of Stem Flowers

Zinnia elegans é uma espécie ornamental de múltiplos propósitos de ornamentação. Nos últimos anos o potencial de uso dessas plantas como flor de corte tem sido estudado, no entanto, poucos são os estudos que determinam sua produção em campo. Uma das técnicas utilizadas para obtenção de plantas em campo com maior número de flores é o desponte apical, que tem como objetivo promover a brotação lateral de ramos e aumentar o número de flores produzidas. Por isso, esse trabalho objetivou avaliar os efeitos do desponte apical aplicado na cultura, visando uma produção com maior rendimento e qualidade de hastes florais. As plantas produzidas a partir da germinação de sementes e as mudas foram transplantadas, aos 21 dias após a semeadura, para os canteiros em espaçamento 20x20cm. Aos 15 dias após o transplantio foram realizados o desponte apical que consistiu nos tratamentos, sendo caracterizados como se segue: T0: Controle (sem desponte apical); T1: Desponte mantendo uma gema; e T2: Desponte mantendo 2 gemas. O experimento foi realizado em canteiros, sob condições naturais, a nível de campo. Utilizou-se o delineamento em blocos casualisado, com três tratamentos distribuídos em 4 blocos sendo avaliadas 8 plantas por parcela. Ao final do ciclo de produção foram avaliadas a altura da planta, o peso fresco da planta, o número de folhas, o número de inflorescências, o comprimento das hastes florais, o diâmetro das inflorescências e o ciclo da cultura. Com base nos resultados, pode-se concluir que é recomendável realizar a poda de zínia mantendo 2 gemas para aumento da produtividade e qualidade de hastes florais.

Regulation of Summer Season Flowering to Enhance the Flowering and Physical Parameters of Mrig Bahar in Guava (Psidium guajava l.) Cv. Lucknow-49 under Sodic Soil

The present investigation entitled “Regulation of summer season flowering to enhance the Flowering and physical parameters of mrig bahar in guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Lucknow-49 under sodic soil” was carried out at Production Processing of Usar Waste Land Akma, Department of Fruit Science, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar (Kumarganj), Ayodhya (U.P.) during 2021-22. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Block Design with three replications and ten treatments. The treatments were Urea (15, 20 and 25%), NAA (75, 150 and 225 ppm), 2,4-D (20, 40 and 60 ppm) and control applied on second week of April. The results denoted that all the treatments were emphatic in summer deblossoming and enhanced the physical attribute of fruits throughout both season over the control, however, maximum yield per plant, maximum no. of fruits per plant, maximum fruit set percentage and minimum flower drop percentage was recorded with control in rainy season. The profitable effects of the treatments tried were observed to be more prominent in winter season crop than the rainy season crop. Among the treatments, deblossoming with Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) 225 ppm showed maximum enhancement in Flowering characters viz. Percent flower drop (%), Percent fruit set (%) and fruit physical characters viz. Number of fruits per plant, fruit length (cm), width (cm), weight (g), fruit yield per plant (kg/tree) over the control in winter season as well as in rainy season crop.

Transcriptome Sequencing Provides Insights into High-Temperature-Induced Leaf Senescence in Herbaceous Peony

Global warming causes frequent high temperatures in summer; which negatively impacts herbaceous peonies (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) by accelerating leaf senescence and reducing biomass accumulation, leading to reduced flower quality in the subsequent year. Our findings revealed that as heat stress progressed, the high-temperature-sensitive cultivar ‘Meigui Zi’ (MGZ) exhibited a higher rate of chlorophyll content reduction and more pronounced premature aging symptoms than the high-temperature-tolerant cultivar ‘Chi Fen’ (CF). To investigate gene expression differences between CF and MGZ under high-temperature stress, we combined PacBio Iso-Seq sequencing (Iso-Seq) with next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq). Iso-seq yielded 352,891 full-length transcripts ranging from 61 bp to 49,022 bp in length. RNA-seq generated 257,562 transcripts across all samples. Further analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CF and MGZ were primarily enriched in “Photosynthesis”, with most photosynthesis-related DEGs highly expressed in CF. This indicates that CF has higher stability in its photosystem compared with MGZ, which is crucial for mitigating leaf senescence caused by high temperatures. Additionally, the highly expressed chlorophyll degradation genes stay-green (SGR) and stay-green-like (SGRL) in MGZ may be involved in chlorophyll content reduction induced by high temperature. This study preliminarily revealed the molecular mechanism of high-temperature-induced leaf senescence of in herbaceous peony and provided candidate genes for further studies of the regulation mechanism of high -temperature-induced leaf senescence.

Silica nanoparticles improve growth, chemical bioactive, and antioxidant enzyme activity of Dianthus caryophyllus L., plant

Background Nanotechnology has provided innovative use of various materials with unique properties. These substances may react positively in plants, and the induction of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity is particularly remarkable. Ornamental plant production is a positive economic activity of great interest, especially Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.). This plant is more attractive for its various colors, but the flower quality and its longevity can diminish very fast. Thus, examining methods capable of improving flower quality and vase life is crucial. Additionally, carnation can be used to treat coronary and nervous disorders. Carnation contains compounds that calm the nervous system and minimize swelling and inflammation. Objective This research aimed to evaluate the effect of silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) on the growth, bioactive chemical analysis, enzyme activity, and antioxidant accumulation. Material and methods The different rates of SiO2 NPs (0, 150, and 300 ppm) were used in two ways: foliar spray and soil drench; it was applied 3 times. The first application was after 3 weeks of transplanting and repeated with 21-day intervals. Results and conclusion The results showed that foliar application of SiO2 NPs increased all morphological and flowering traits compared with drench and the control, higher levels of photosynthetic pigments and anthocyanin, greater total phenols, total sugars, and total free amino acids were obtained from plants treated with foliar spray 300 ppm followed than 150 ppm. In addition, the greatest levels of enzyme activity were recorded with plants treated with foliar spray of SiO2 NPs at a rate of 300 ppm, as well as improved anatomical structure of the stem and stomata properties compared with the drench method and control. Similarly, SiO2 NPs application method is more critical than their concentration. Therefore, it is recommended that foliar spraying of SiO2 NPs at 300 ppm can enhance plant growth, flowering, bioactive compounds, enzyme activity, and anatomical structure of the stem of carnation plants while adding SiO2 NPs drench at a rate of 150 ppm had rather acceptable findings.

Comparison of Iris dataset classification with Gaussian naïve Bayes and decision tree algorithms

In this study, we apply two classification algorithm methods, namely the Gaussian naïve Bayes (GNB) and the decision tree (DT) classifiers. The Gaussian naïve Bayes classifier is a probability-based classification model that predicts future probabilities based on past experiences. Whereas the decision tree classifier is based on a decision tree, a series of tests that are performed adaptively where the previous test affects the next test. Both of these methods are simulated on the Iris dataset where the dataset consists of three types of Iris: setosa, virginica, and versicolor. The data is divided into two parts, namely training and testing data, in which there are several features as information on flower characteristics. Furthermore, to evaluate the performance of the algorithms on both methods and determine the best algorithm for the dataset, we evaluate it using several metrics on the training and testing data for each method. Some of these metrics are recall, precision, F1-score, and accuracy where the higher the value, the better the algorithm's performance. The results show that the performance of the decision tree classifier algorithm is the most outperformed on the Iris dataset.

Comparison of Winter Flower Quality of Manually and Smart-Controlled Cut Rose ‘Beast’

Comparison of Winter Flower Quality of Manually and Smart-Controlled Cut Rose ‘Beast’

Nano Silver and melatonin effectively delay the senescence of cut carnation flowers under simulated vibrational stress

ABSTRACT Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) holds great significance as a cut flower, and its vase life plays a crucial role in determining its quality and market appeal. However, the extended transportation distances from the production location to consumer markets can have an unfavourable impact on the vase life and overall quality of cut flowers. The first experiment demonstrated that exposing cut carnation flowers to simulated vibrational stress (SVS) led to a decline in vase life and overall quality. Notably, the application of Nano Silver (NS; 25 and 50 μM) and melatonin (MT; 100 and 200 μM) into the holding solution proved effective in counteracting these negative effects, and extended the vase life by promoting cut flower water relations. In the second experiment, the optimal concentrations of NS and MT into the holding solution (25 and 100 μM, respectively) effectively reduced chlorophyll degradation, electrolyte leakage, and lipid peroxidation by enhancing the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes. As a result, it appears that the application of NS and MT in the holding solution has successfully prolonged vase life by both improving water balance and boosting antioxidant activity, while mitigating the negative effects of SVS.

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Improve the Development of Chrysanthemum × morifolium (Ramat.) Hemsl. ‘Jinba’ Inflorescences

The application of cut flower preservation technology can significantly enhance both the ornamental and economic value of fresh-cut flowers. Research on vase solutions has become a concentrated area in current studies on cut flower preservation. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), as a type of carbon nanomaterial with bactericidal and membrane-penetrating properties, can be used as a component in vase solutions. This supplementation of energy substances aims to improve antioxidant enzyme activity, thereby enhancing the postharvest quality of cut chrysanthemums. In this study, deionized water and a standard preservative solution were employed as control groups to compare the effects of MWCNTs applied at different concentrations, combined with common preservatives such as sugar and 8-hydroxyquinoline, on the postharvest flowering and preservation of Chrysanthemum × morifolium ‘Jinba’. By observing the distribution of MWCNTs in the tissues surrounding the cut and changes in water content, carbon sources, osmoregulatory substance levels, and the expression of relevant key genes, a formulation with excellent postharvest treatment effects was identified. Preliminary investigations into its action and mechanism were also conducted. The results indicated that the combined treatment with 5 mg L−1 MWCNTs, 30 g L−1 sucrose, and 0.2 g L−1 8-hydroxyquinoline effectively promoted water and sugar uptake in chrysanthemum flowers, accelerating bud opening, maintaining larger inflorescence diameter, and extending the vase life. Ultimately, this enhanced the ornamental value of cut chrysanthemums. These research findings provide theoretical and experimental foundations for the application of multi-walled carbon nanotubes as auxiliary additives to improve the ornamental quality of cut flowers.

The Effect of Natural Plant Growth Regulator Concentration of Indian Red Onions on the Growth of Euphorbia (Euphorbia geroldii) Flowers

The euphorbia flower (euphorbia geroldii), widely used by the public as an ornamental plant because of its visual beauty, has an aesthetic function and health benefits that still need to be researched. The euphorbia genus has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activity, which comes from its abundant terpenoid compounds, flavonoids, and other phytochemical compounds. Due to these high benefits, optimization of cultivation is carried out by adding phytohormones, better known as Growth Regulatory Regulator (PGR), further to increase the quality and quantity of euphorbia flowers so that the economic value will also increase in the realm of the agricultural industry. This research aims to analyze the effect of the natural PGR concentration of red onions (Allium cepa L.) on the growth of euphorbia flowers, including the parameters of the number of flowers on one tree, the time the buds appear, and the duration of flower survival. The research method used was quantitative experimental using a one-factor Randomized Block Design (RBD), namely testing the effect of several variations in PGR concentration (0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10%) and statistically analyzed using SPSS. The results of the research show that all variations in PGR concentration have a positive effect on all parameters, where the PGR concentration of 10% indicates the highest increase, including the average number of flowers on one tree, which is 13 flowers, the average time for buds to appear is 2.5 times in one week. The average duration of flower survival is 139.5 hours. It can be concluded that the natural PGR of red onions has a positive effect on all parameters, with the highest results shown at a concentration variation of 10%.