Post-harvest characteristics of Lilium cv. Fungio in response to pulsing and storage treatments

Lilium as cut flowers are known for their thumping contribution to floriculture industry . However, their vase life is still a bottle neck in long distance tranport and catching the wider market. The studies were carried out on the effect of different pulsing and storage treatments in relation to post- harvest characteristics of lilium cv. Fungio( LA-hybrid lily , the hybrid of Lilium longiflorum x Lilium asiatica) during the year 2008 at the Department of Horticulture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema campus , Nagaland. The experiment with as many four pulsing treatments ( P₀ as control carrying distilled water, P₁ as 2% sucrose + 1000 ppm Al₂ (SO₄)₃, P₂ as 2% sucrose + 200 ppm 8-HQ and P₃ as 2% sucrose + 50 ppm GA₃ ) and three storage treatments (S₀ as room temperature at 16-26 °C, S₁ as Zero Energy Cool Chamber , ZECC and S₂ as wet storage at room temperature) , replicated three times was carried out under completely randomized design. The results showed that various pulsing treatments significantly enhanced the quality and vase life of cut liliums. However, the best treatment was recorded as 2% sucrose + 50 ppm GA₃. Out of the various storage treatments, ZECC treatmentremarkably influenced the quality and vase life of cut liliums and proved as the best treatment. Interaction between 2% sucrose + 50 ppm GA₃ and ZECC storage, hence proved having additive effect on both quality as well as vase life of cut liliums.