In cut roses, increasing of quality and duration of storage and minimizing postharvest losses is very vital. Using preservatives in the vase solution is one of the common methods to increase the life span of rose flowers. In order to replace chemicals with natural compounds as antimicrobial preservatives used in solutions for cut flowers, the effectiveness of betel leaf extract as well as 8-HQC were assessed. In this study, cut rose cvs. Konfetti and Bordeaux were pulsed with 2% betel leaf extract as well as 200 ppm 8-HQC in combination with 3, 6 and 9% sucrose with tap water as control for 24 hours. 6% sucrose+2% betel leaf extract was highly proficient in increment of vase life (14.17 days) water uptake (45.34 g/stem) and flower diameter (9.97 cm). The qualitative aspects like freshness of leaves and petals, low blueing of petals and bent neck free flowers were also noticed in the same treatment. This study convincingly demonstrates that betel leaf extract is a safe and environment friendly biocide that enhances the quality and longevity of cut roses by preventing microbial vascular plugging.
Rose, betel leaf extract, vase life, quality, 8-HQC
