Effect of Chemical Treatments and Temperature on the Vase Life of Cut Lilium Flowers (Lilium longiflorum L.) cv. Romano

An experiment was carried out to evaluate vase life and quality of cut lilium flowers (cv. Romano) using five chemical solutions and two keeping temperatures by factorial experiments based on completely randomized design with three replications. At first, the cut lilium flowers pulsed with different chemical solutions treatments containing sucrose (3%), 8- hydroxylquinoline sulfate (200 ppm), citric acid (100ppm), gibberellic acid (50 ppm), kinetine (50 ppm) for 24 hours. Then, flowers were transferred into distilled water and maintained at 4°C or 22°C. The effects of applied treatments on vase life, total soluble solids, chlorophyll index, flower diameter and rate of water uptake were evaluated. On the bases of the results the effect of 4°C temperature with mean of 30.61 days on the flower longevity was significant (p< 0.01) higher then 22°C with mean of 10.5 days. Also, 4°C temperature showed better effects on other characteristics. Maximum flower vase life was related to treatment with gibberellic acid (36.33 days for 4°C and 13.3 days for 22°C) and increased the chlorophyll centont of the leaves. Minimum vase life was related to 8-hydroxylquinoline sulfate (25 days for 4°C and 9 days for 22°C). Citric acid and 8-hydroxylquinoline sulfate increased of water uptake and inhibited the vascular stopping.