Effect of Essential Oils and Silver Nanoparticles (SNP) on Vase Life of Alstroemeria Cut Flowers (cv. Sukari)

In order to examine the effects of essential oils and silver nanoparticles as an antimicrobial preservative in the solutions of Alstroemeri cv. Sukari cut flowers، an experiment was conducted with 11 treatments and 3 replications in a completely randomized design. In this study، we used essences of carvacrol، thymol and Zataria oilwith concentrations of 50 and 100 mg L-1 and silver nanoparticles with concentrations of 5، 10 and 15 mg L-1 with 3% sucrose. Alstroemeria cut flowers were pulsed for 24 hours by these compounds. Results showed that the average vase life of flowers that treated with distilled water and 3% sucrose as a control treatments were 8. 66 and 8. 33 days، respectively.. The vase life of cut flowers was improved by 50 mg L-1 carvacrol + 3% sucrose (14. 83 day) and 5 mg L-1 silver nanoparticles+ 3% sucrose (14. 16 day). Vase life of cut flowers that treated with carvacrol 50 mg L-1 + sucrose 3% and silver nanoparticles+ sucrose 3% was 5. 5 days higher compared to other treatments. Treatment of 50 mg L-1 carvacrol + sucrose 3% and 5 mg L-1 silver nanoparticles+ sucrose 3% delayed leaf yellowing in cut Alstroemeria flowers during vase life (5 days). So، petal abscission time and the leaf yellowing decreased. Zataria oil did not improve vase life. Maximum water uptake، relative fresh weight and chlorophyll contents were observed in treatments with 50 mg L-1 carvacrol + sucrose 3% and 5 mg L-1 silver nanoparticles + sucrose 3%.