1All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Floriculture, Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya(BCKV), Kalyani, Nadia, W. Bengal, Pin-741235. suhritakvk@gmail.com.
2Department of Floriculture, Faculty of Horticulture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, W. Bengal, Pin-741252
3Department of Plant Pathology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, W. Bengal, Pin-741252
4Division of Horticulture, Palli Siksha Bavana, Institute of Agriculture, Visva Bharati University, P.O. Sriniketan-731236, West Bengal, munsips@rediffmail.com
An experiment was carried out to study the effect of sucrose and trehalose in combination with other chemicals, on post harvest life of gerbera cv Calcutta Orange. Fifteen treatments used were T1 - Sucrose 3%; T2-T1 + Aluminium sulphate 220 ppm; T3- T1 + citric acid 220 ppm; T4 - T1 + citric acid 300 ppm; T5 - T1 + HQS 200 0pm; T6 - Sucrose 4%; T7- T6 + Aluminium sulphate 200ppm; T8 - T6 + citric acid 200ppm; T9 - T6 + citric acid 300 ppm; T10 - T6 + HQS 200 ppm; T11-Trehalose50 mM; T12- T11 + HQS 200 ppm; T13 - T11 + citric acid 300 ppm; T14- T13 + HQS 200 ppm and T15- Control (distilled water). The amount of water uptake and number of bacterial colony formation suggested that the vase solutions helped to retain cell turgidity by improving water uptake and retarding xylem plugging through hindering bacterial colony formation. Among different vase solutions, sucrose 3% combined with 8-hydroxyquinolene sulphate (200 ppm) and sucrose 4% including alluminium sulphate (200 ppm) were found better for most of the floral traits. However, trehalose was not as effective as sucrose.
sucrose, trehalose, vase life, microbial load, gerbera
