Comparative study of bio-stimulants for improving the vase life of chrysanthemum cut flowers

Quality and longer vase life are the most important factors in cut flowers, while chemicals are the reliable ones for enhancing both. To prevent chemical usage, the study was undertaken to evaluate biostimulants for enhancing the vase life of cut flowers. Eleven different treatment combinations of bio-stimulants were used in this experiment to study their effect in enhancing the vase life of chrysanthemum, where extracts of aloe vera, Ocimum gratissimum leaves, lemon juice, Mentha piperita leaves and Moringa olerifera leaves were used at 2 % and 4 % concentration along with 2 % sucrose. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design replicated thrice and in each treatment, 10 flowers were used. Chrysanthemum var. Snowball was used in this experiment. Lemon juice at 4 % + Sucrose 2 % (B7) recorded the maximum vase life (14.94, 15.15 and 15.05 days was observed in B7 in Y1, Y2 and pooled respectively), the best antimicrobial activity by recording the minimum count of microbial colonies (43.33 × 104, 56.67 × 104 and 50.00 × 104 CFU/mL in B7 in Y1, Y2 and pooled respectively), maximum total vase solution uptake (15.76 and 15.53 g in B7 in Y1 and pooled respectively) of chrysanthemum var. Snowball during the post-harvest period. A correlation study demonstrated that maintaining an acidic vase solution helped in suppressing microbial growth and this combined effect enhanced a longer vase life. From the study, it could be recommended that lemon juice at 4 % + sucrose 2 % effectively enhanced the post-harvest life of chrysanthemum.