Screening Eight Cultivars of Alstroemeria Cut Flower for Vase Life and Biochemical Traits

Alstroemeria is one of the most popular cut flowers in European Union owing to its postharvest longevity and broad color spectra. Nevertheless, premature wilting decreases the esthetic value of flowering branches even before the opening of the secondary florets in the fluorescence. The present study evaluated different biochemical and morphological traits of Alstroemeria cut flowers in order to screen the longevity of eight cultivars of Alstroemeria cut flowers including (Topaz, Chicago, Mayfair, Onyx, Frosty, Bellevue, Samantha, and Dimension). Traits such as longevity, wilting, water uptake, chlorophyll content, total soluble solids, relative water content, catalase activity, peroxidase activity, and protein content were evaluated. Data were subjected to the statistical and cluster analysis. The results showed that Mayfair and Frosty cultivars have the greatest distance from another. Mayfair had the lowest longevity. Frosty exhibited the most significant difference and was the most different cultivar from other cultivars in terms of biochemical traits, so that it was clustered in a separate group. As a result, two cultivars with the longest and the shortest longevity was determined. Maximum peroxidase activity was related to Frosty, differing significantly from that of Mayfair.