Effect of Essential Oils of Cinnamon, Clove and Silver Nanoparticls on Vase-Life of Cut Alstroemeria cv.  Jamaica Flowers

In this study the effect of different concentrations of essential oils of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and clove (Zyzygium aromaticum) (100 and 200 mg l-1 + 2% sucrose) and silver nanoparticles (SNP) (2, 4 and 6 mg l-1 + 2% sucrose) on the vase-life and some quantitative attributes of cut alstromeria cv. ‘Jamaica’ flowers were evaluated. This experiment was performed in completely randomized design with three replications in laboratory of postharvest physiology of faculty of agriculture, University of Tabriz. Results showed that SNP and cinnamon and clove oils treatments could delay the number of days to 50% petal fall compared to the non-treated control. All treatments also maintained relative fresh weight and solution uptake rate during the eight days of vase-life period compared to control treatments but the clove oil treatment has no positive effect on solution uptake rate. The 2 and 4 mg l-1 of SNP treatments could also maintain leaf chlorophyll index. There were no significant difference between two concentrations of cinnamon and clove oils of studied parameters and there were only significant difference between three concentrations of SNP of relative fresh weight and leaf chlorophyll index. SNP treatment had higher efficiency than the essential oils treatment of vase-life parameter. In overal, these results indicate that applying of 100 mg L-1 of essential oils and 2 mg L-1 of SNP can increase vase-life of alstromeria flowers.