EFFECT OF ESSENTIAL OILS ON STORAGE AND KEEPING QUALITY OF GLADIOLUS CUT FLOWERS

Abstract

A trial was consummated at Postharvest Lab. of Floriculture Res. Dept. Hort. Res. Inst. ARC, Giza, Egypt during 2019 and 2020 seasons to study the influence of essential oils of clove and sage oil in two experiments as preservative solutions, or a spray treatments as well as under long term of storage at low temperatures for three periods on quality and vase life of cut inflorescences of Gladiolus grandiflorus. In the first experiment five holding solutions included, clove oil at 1 and 2 mg/l + 20 g/l sucrose (suc.), sage oil at 1and 2 mg/l + 20 g/l sucrose (suc.), 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate (8-HQC) at 200 pm + 20 g/l sucrose (suc.) and control (distilled water D.W.) were used. In second experiment that used essential oils as spray treatments. The obtained results from the two experiments indicated that, the flowers hold in the preservative solution of sucrose + clove oil (1 mg/l) significantly prolonged vase life, increased flowers fresh weight (%) and water uptake (g), dry weight (%), percentage of opening floret (%) and decreased water loss(g), bacterial counts in the vase solution. Essential oils had a positive effect on total sugar concentrations, level of total indoles and total phenols and total chlorophyll contents of cut flowers. Essential oils as an alternative substitute to chemical compounds had an excellent effect on cut flowers also because of their antimicrobial activities and environmental friendly nature.

Keywords

• gladiolus grandiflorus
• cut flowers
• essential oils
• preservative solutions
• cold storage