Role of Micronutrients in Enhancing Floral Quality and Postharvest Shelf Life in Ixora

In the burgeoning floriculture sector of Indian agriculture, optimizing yields of loose flowers like Ixora is crucial. This study investigates the impact of micronutrient management on floral quality, physiological attributes, and postharvest shelf life using four Ixora varieties treated with FeSO4, ZnSO4, and boric acid. The Pink variety (V2) excelled in flower bud length (5.15 cm), bud width (0.38 cm), and corolla tube length (3.73 cm), and also demonstrated the longest shelf life (5.20 days at room temperature, 6.21 days refrigerated). Foliar spray of NPK + FeSO4 (0.5%) + ZnSO4 (0.5%) + Boric acid (0.2%) on the Pink variety (V2 × T4) further maximized bud length (5.44 cm), bud width (0.44 cm), corolla tube length (3.95 cm), and shelf life (6.09 days room temperature, 7.13 days refrigerated). These improvements are linked to zinc’s role in photosynthesis, iron’s role in chlorophyll synthesis, and boron’s role in cell wall strength, enhancing flower quality and marketability.