Copper as water consumption enhancer during the vase life of Lilium ‘Elite’

Abstract

The effect of copper chloride at 0, 10, 15, 30 and 60 μM in fresh weight, water consumption, chlorophyll concentration and vase life of Lilium ‘Elite’ was evaluated. In all treatments 4 % of sucrose was added and the pH adjusted to 3.5 with citric acid. In the results, it was observed that floral stems of Lilium with 60 μM copper increased their fresh weight, and inflection point produced a day after compared with other treatments, which indicates the beginning of the weight loss. The water consumption at day 7 was 55, 37 and 21 % higher in the stems of flowers with 60, 30 and 15 μM of copper chloride, respectively, compared with the control. Regardless of the treatment, at day 12, the concentration of chlorophyll a, b and total was five times higher in the upper stratum, as compared to the bottom. A good ornamental appearance of the flowers on the lower stratum ranged from 3.8 to 4.5 days (d), while for the top stratum registered a range between 2.7 to 4.0 d; in the latter, the flower stems treated with 60 μM copper sulfate increased the life of flowers.