Influence of Pre-Harvest Growth Substances on Physical Quality Attributes of Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) cv. Livia

The present investigation was conducted to study the effect of pre-harvest applications of different growth substances on the physical quality attributes of Gerbera jamesonii cv. Livia. The experiment comprised 10 treatments, including varying concentrations of salicylic acid (SA), gibberellic acid (GA₃), and benzyl adenine (BA), along with an untreated control, laid out in a completely randomized design with three replications. Significant differences were observed among treatments for all evaluated parameters. The treatment T₃ (Salicylic Acid @ 150 ppm) recorded the highest fresh weight (21.9 g), maximum cumulative water uptake (54.2 g/flower), and the lowest physiological weight loss (11.5%) and scape bending (24.8°/day). The least change in flower diameter was also observed in T₃, indicating improved cellular stability. In contrast, the untreated control (T₀) consistently recorded inferior values across all traits. The improvement in physical quality can be attributed to enhanced water retention, cell wall strength, and reduced senescence due to the physiological effects of growth regulators. The study concludes that salicylic acid at 150 ppm is the most effective treatment for improving physical attributes of gerbera flowers and can be recommended for commercial cultivation to enhance market quality.