Abstract:
An examination was carried out in the Laboratory of Horticulture and Postharvest
Technology Department, SAU during the period from 9th to zs" December, 2006
to study the effects of different preservatives on postharvest life of cut flowers. For
this trial spikes of tuberose and gladiolus were kept in chrysal clear (a commercial
floral preservative) solution, 2% sucrose solution, 50 ppm bleach solution and 2%
sucrose + 50 ppm bleach solution. Two different solutions of each preservative
was prepared by using tap water and distilled water. The experiment was laid out
in Complete Randomize Design. Chrysal clear gave the best result in respect of
flower opening, water uptake and vase life. The highest vase life of tuberose and
gladiolus was 13.75 days and 11.63 days respectively in chrysal clear whereas it
was 8.13 days and 7.44 days in control. Treatment with 2% sucrose + 50 ppm
bleach solution gave almost the similar result as chrysal clear which was 13.63
days and 11 days in tuberose and gladiolus respectively. Water uptake rate was the
highest in chrysal clear closely followed by 2% sucrose+ 50 ppm bleach solution.
Percentages of flower opening were the highest in chrysal clear solution which
was 90.44% in tuberose and cent percent in gladiolus. Flower opening rate was
86.64% in tuberose and 93. l 9% in gladiolus in treatment with 2% sucrose + 50
ppm bleach solution, whereas in control treatment it was only 66.19% and
63.76% in tuberose and gladiolus respectively. Tap water performed better than
disullcd water in respect of vase life, flower opening and uptaking of water but
there was no significant variation between them. As 2% sucrose + 50 ppm bleach
gives, more or less, similar performance as chrysal clear, so it can be a suitable
substitute of chrysal clear in Bangladesh aspec
