EFFECT OF PULSING, HOLDING AND LOW TEMPERATURE STORAGE ON KEEPING QUALITY OF ASIATIC LILY HYBRIDS

Investigations were conducted on vase life studies in Asiatic hybrid Lily. Uniform flowering stems consisting three buds were harvested one day before the anthesis of first bud and kept in various vase solutions. Flowers were pulsed with 10% sucrose and 1 mM silver thiosulphate (STS) for six hours, significantly increased the vase life and improved floral attributes such as freshness, colour intensity and flower size. Further improvement in vase life was achieved by keeping pulsed flowers in a preservative solution (holding solution) containing 2% sucrose and 200 ppm 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate (HQC). Addition of GA3 (100 ppm) in the preservative solutions had better impact on reducing the senescence of leaves and also flowers. The post harvest vase life was maximum at pH of 3.5. Packaging of flowers in polyethylene sleeves and stored at 1 ^oC was more effective than storing in craft papers. Hence a combination of pulsing, low temperature storage treatment and keeping flowers in a holding solution are important factors for enhancing the vase life.

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