N Save Nature to Survive 10(4): 1483-1487, 2015 www.thebioscan.in 1483 EFFECT OF SILVER THIOSULPHATE, SILVER NITRATE AND DISTILLED WATER ON FLOWER QUALITY AND VASE LIFE OF CUT CARNATION FLOWERS RUPALI SHARMA 1 * AND SANDEEP BHARDWAJ 2 1 Department of Horticulture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar - 125 004, Haryana, INDIA 2 College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, CCS Harayana Agricultural University, Hisar-125004, Harayana, INDIA e-mail: rupali_flori@rediffmail.com INTRODUCTION Cut flower industry in India is at its nascent stage. Large commercial floriculture units have come up in areas near Bangalore, Pune and Delhi. Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) a member of family Caryophyllaceae is native to the Mediterranean region. Carnation ranks next to Rose and Chrysanthemum in cut flower trade in the world. In India, it is mainly cultivated in the polyhouses or greenhouses. There is a great scope for growing carnations in India for the production of quality cut flowers. Cut flowers, in general, are highly perishable and carnations are no exception. The high perishability of flower renders them vulnerable to considerable post-harvest losses (Bhattacharjee, 1999). Ethylene is mainly responsible for flower senescence, which leads to the death of tissue (Mayak et al., 1977). Hence, to preserve the quality of cut flowers after harvest and to make them resistant to fluctuations in environmental conditions, it is very important to give special treatments to cut flowers after harvest to improve their post harvest quality and vase life. Flower preservatives form a mixture of chemicals which came under categories like sugars, germicides, salt, growth regulators, ethylene inhibitors etc., are mainly recommended. Keeping of cut flowers in various preservatives has effectively been used from long time to improve their longevity (Gowda and Gowda, 1990., Pal et al., 2003). Pulsing with different chemicals enhancing the longevity of the Cymbidium hybrid’ Pine Clash Moon Venus’ (Bharathi & Barman, 2015). Vase life termination for many cut flowers is characterized by wilting which is due to loss of water from the cells. (He et al., 2006). Many agents have been used in vase solutions of the cut flowers which extends vase life by improving water uptake. These include silver nitrate (Fujino et al., 1983), aluminium sulphate (Ichimura and Shimizu Yumoto., 2007). Therefore, it is important to use these materials in vase solutions to extend the vase life of Cut flowers.The present investigation was undertaken with following objectives: Post-harvest behavior of carnation varieties as influenced by chemicals. Post-harvest evaluation of carnation germplasm on the basis of different chemical solutions MATERIALS AND METHODS The present investigation was conducted at post-harvest lab of Department of Horticulture, G. B. Pant University of ABSTRACT The present investigation was undertaken during the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 at Model Floriculture Centre, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) with carnation genotypes. 16 carnation genotypes were planted in completely randomized block design under low cost polyhouse. These genotypes were also selected for post harvest analysis by using completely randomized block design with treatments as factorial combination of 16 cultivars and 3 levels of different holding solutions (STS, AgNo 3 and distilled water). Ferada and Sunrise in distilled water had highest value of days taken to bud opening (5.12 days) whereas Keyar in STS solution (2.63 days) was recorded with minimum value. Flower diameter was found to be maximum (6.41 cm.) with Liberty which exhibited significantly higher diameter than all the genotypes in different holding solutions, while minimum (2.94 cm.) was recorded with Salaya which was at par with Dubesco Rubesco (3.11 cm.). Minimum Percent of flower weight loss was found with Ferato (13.26%) in STS solution which was at par with Tabour, Dark Randevous, Master, Ferada, Liberty, Tabour while maximum percent of weight loss was recorded in Parado Fansi (47.19%) which was at par with Sunrise (44.43%) in distilled water. Maximum amount of solution uptake was recorded with Tabour (36.56 ml) when kept in solution and minimum (11.07 ml) amount of solution was consumed by Sunrise when kept in distilled water. Maximum Vase life was recorded with Ferato(13.90 days) in STS solution which was at par with Tabour (13.64 days) while minimum (5.88 days) vase life was recorded with Cv. Lavender lace in distilled water, which was significantly lesser than all the genotypes in different holding solutions. KEYWORDS Carnation Cut flower Germplasm Post-harvest Preservatives Received on : 15.09.2015 Accepted on : 25.11.2015 *Corresponding author