Effect of Different Chemical Preservatives on Postharvest Longevity of Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii cv. Rosalin) Cut Flowers under Controlled Laboratory Conditions

Aims: This experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different chemical preservative in vase life and quality of gerbera cut flowers. Study Design:  Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Place and Duration of Study: Department of Horticulture, Prithvi Secondary School, Nawalparsi (East), Nepal, between June 2023 and September 2023. Methodology: Eight different preservative solutions of different concentrations (i.e. 4% sucrose, 200 ppm citric acid, 200 ppm salicylic acid and 1% CaCl2) and their combinations including control treatment i.e. sole application of distilled water were replicated thrice. And, the parameters like water solution uptake, flower weight, flower diameter, stem bending and vase life was observed. Results: The study revealed that among seven different vase solutions, the combination of 4% sucrose + 200 ppm citric acid was found superior for all the parameters observed and supposed to be the most effective vase solutions for prolonging the vase life and reducing the postharvest losses in gerbera. Conclusion: For achieving better quality of gerbera cut flowers, they are better to be treated with sucrose in combination with citric acid or CaCl2, thus can satisfactorily be recommended for commercial growers, wholesalers and retailers.