Vase Life and Quality of Cut Alstroemeria as Affected by Integrated Application of Plant Essential Oils and Non-Chemical Treatments

Alstromeria has beautiful flowers that is popular in the world. One of the most problem in commercial of this flower is ethylene sensitivity and bacterial contamination in stem end of cut flowers. In this experiment, effect of essential oils of bitter orange (0, 25 and 50 mg l-1) and lawson cypress (0, 100 and 200 mg l-1) and nonchemical treatment (with and without) with 18 treatments, 3 replications and 54 plots were tested on vase life and quality of cut Alsteromeria. ANOVA showed that interaction effect of mentioned treatments were significant on all of traits except loss of fresh weight. Results showed that L200B50S0 (200 mg l-1 essential oil lawson cypress × 50 mg l-1 bitter orange without splitting) and L200B0S1 (200 mg l-1 essential oil lawson cypress × 0 mg l-1 bitter orange with splitting) had highest vase life. Also, lowest bacterial population found in L200B50S1 (200 mg l-1 essential oil lawson cypress × 50 mg l-1 bitter orange with splitting).