Assessing the role of natural floral preservatives on the physical traits of gerbera cut flowers

Introduction

Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus) is a member of the Asteraceae family, known by various names such as Transvaal daisy, African daisy, and Barberton daisy. It originates from South Africa and parts of Asia. While there are around 40 species in the Gerbera genus, Gerbera jamesonii is the primary species cultivated (Kumar et al., 2020) [1] . It is an Important cut flower ranked first among the most-traded ornamental plants in the global market. In India, it is cultivated in an area of 5,730 ha with the production of 28,620 MT. Proper harvesting, post-harvest handling and use of floral preservative improve the keeping quality of flower for maintaining the freshness and quality of cut flowers (Murthy et al., 2015) [3] . Most preservative are costly for farmers to prolong the vase life even additionally for one week, especially during high-demand occasions. Keeping these points in view, a study was carried out to identify natural preservative such as sucrose, vinegar, lime juice etc. extend the postharvest longevity and physical attributes of cut flowers (Asrar et al., 2012) [2] .

Materials and Methods

The experiment was conducted at Pt. K.L.S College of Horticulture & Research Station, Rajnandgaon (C.G.) during 2023 -24. The goal of the study was to determine the role of natural floral preservatives on the physical traits of gerbera cut flower cv. Brilliance. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design having 17 treatments which was repeated thrice to confirm the results viz. (T 0 ) Distilled water, (T 1 ) Vinegar 0.5%, (T 2 ) Vinegar 1%, (T 3 ) Lime juice 0.5%, (T 4 ) Lime juice 1%, (T 5 ) Sucrose 1%, (T 6 ) Sucrose 2%, (T 7 ) Cow urine 5%, (T 8 ) Cow urine 10%, (T 9 ) Moringa leaf extract 5%, (T 10 ) Moringa leaf extract 10%, (T 11 ) Betel vine leaf extract 5%, (T 12 ) Betel vine leaf extract 10%, (T 13 ) Aloe vera 5%, (T 14 ) Aloe vera 10%, (T 15 ) Coconut water 50%, (T 16 ) Coconut water 100% at third, sixth, ninth, twelfth, fifteenth day. Immediately after harvesting, a 5-10 cm section of basal woody portion was trimmed under deionized water before being immersed in the same water. Individual scape heads were then carefully encased in plastic sleeves, bundled in groups of ten, and swiftly transported to the laboratory within one hour to maintain freshness. According to the treatment and its concentration of solutions, gerbera stalk were dipped in various preservative solutions. To test the impact of natural floral preservatives on the physical traits of gerbera, cut flower were dipped to the solution at ambient condition. Weight loss due to normal physiological processes was measured. Vernier calliper was used to measure the diameter.

Results and Discussion

The data recorded on weight of flower during vase life period of cut gerbera Cv. Brilliance held in floral preservative solutions are presented in the Table 1. The floral preservative solutions differed significantly on weight of flowers. Sucrose 2% recorded significantly highest weight of flower (9.07) which was followed by Lime juice 1% (8.57). There were significant differences in weight of flower during different days of vase life period. The flower's weight peaked on day 3 rd (11.02) of the vase life period, then significantly decreased at successive intervals on day 6 th (10.70), day 9 th (10.38), day 12 th (7.74). The lowest weight was recorded on day 15 th (7.35), marking a consistent decline from the initial observation on day 3 rd . Sucrose 2% improved flower weight compared to the control, likely due to its impact on osmotic concentration, which enhances water uptake. Similar result obtained by Ichimura and Shimizu (2007) [13] reported that application of Sucrose 2% increased fresh weight of cut. Data presented in Table 1 provides an overview of floral preservative solutions on flower diameter during vase life period. The preservative treatments differed significantly on flower diameter of cut gerbera flowers. The treatment, Sucrose 2% recorded highest flower diameter (78.63) which was followed by Lime juice 1% (77.22) whereas lowest in control (64.01). The highest flower diameter was recorded on day 3 rd (83.65) and significantly decreased at each successive interval from day 6 th (81.51), day 9 th (80.04), day 12 th (74.80) by recording flower diameter lowest on day 15 th (70.50). Sucrose 2% probably reduced moisture stress in cut flowers by affecting stomatal closure, preventing transpiration and water loss. The findings of the experiment were further supported by Sayed et al. (2018) [6] , Maitra et al. (2024) [7] in gerbera. The data recorded on changes in water uptake (WU) during vase life period of cut gerbera cv. Brilliance held in floral preservative solution are presented in the Table 2. Treatment mean Sucrose 2% recorded highest water uptake (12.58) followed by Lime juice 1% (12.25) whereas lowest water uptake was registered in control (8.86). The highest WU was recorded on day 3 rd (14.99) and significantly decreased at each successive interval from day 6 th (13.73), day 9 th (10.87), day 12 th (8.17) by recording water uptake lowest on day 15 th (5.95). Sucrose 2% helps to sustain water balance and turgidity. It increase water uptake in flowers by influencing various physiological and cellular processes that help maintain the flower's hydration. This was in conformity with the findings of Zamani et al. (2011) [9] in chrysanthemum, Krishnappa et al. (2000) [10] cut carnation. The Table 2 represents the data recorded on changes in transpiration-al loss of water (TLW) during vase life period of cut gerbera cv. Brilliance held in vase solution of floral preservative. sucrose 2% recorded lowest TLW (8.80) which was followed by Lime juice 1% (9.18) whereas highest in control (12.52). There were significant differences in TLW during different days of vase life period. The highest TLW was recorded on day 3 rd (14.90) and significantly decreased at each successive interval from day 6 th (13.66), day 9 th (10.76), day 12 th (8.08) by recording TLW lowest on day 15 th (5.90). Water loss from the flower tissue by transpiration during the experimental period was influenced significantly by sucrose. Sucrose 2% helped reduce moisture stress in by affecting stomatal closure, preventing water loss due to transpiration. If water loss through transpiration exceeds water uptake, the flowers can wilt, leading to reduced turgidity and a shorter vase life. Managing transpirational water loss is crucial. The findings of the experiment colloborate the results of Jamil et al. (2016) [11] in cut Hippeastrum flowers, Nagaraja et al. (2001) [12] in cut gerbera.

Conclusion

The conclusion drawn from the experimental analysis highlights that (Sucrose 2%) T 6 exhibited superior performance across all evaluated parameters. This is because the Sucrose 2% can make flowers more attractive in terms of fressness of physical attributes and longetivity of flower. The results revealed that Sucrose 2% showed significant performance on various parameters as Weight of flower (9.07), Flower diameter (78.63), Stem diameter (4.99), Water uptake (12.58), Transpiration-al loss of water (8.80). Thus, preservation could be adopted by the gerbera producers which needs less skill and fetches higher price for beautifully fresh flowers in eco-friendly ways.

References

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