Effect of different treatments on increasing vase life of lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) cut flower

Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf) shinn.) is one of the most important and marketable cut flowers in the world and a relatively limited vase life reduces its marketability. The present study's aim was to evaluate the effects of Citrus aurantifolia peel extract, tragacanth gel, hot water treatments and different waters on extending vase life and increasing the qualitative properties of cut flowers of lisianthus. This experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with 25 treatments contained three concentrations of C. aurantifolia peel extract (15, 25 and 50 ppm) by three solvents containing distilled water, ethanol and methanol, three levels of tragacanth (1, 2.5 and 5%) in two ways (pulsing and continues), hot water at two temperatures of 35 and 45 °C for 2, 5 and 10 min, tap water, sterilized and non-sterilized distilled water and control without any treatment, each one by three replications. According to the results, the highest vase life (13.66 days) was obtained in 25 and 50 ppm of distilled water C. aurantifolia peel extracts treatments. The lowest stem end bacteria were observed in sterilized distilled water, tap water, 50 ppm of distilled water C. aurantifolia peel extracts, hot water in 35° C for 10 min and 2.5% tragacanth gel. The highest relative water content of petals in 2.5 and 5% of continuous tragacanth gel treatment and 25 ppm of methanolic C. aurantifolia peel extracts were obtained. The maximum activity of catalase and peroxidase was observed in 1% continues tragacanth gel treatment. Generally, using tragacanth gel by pulsing, distilled water and ethanolic extracts could increase lisianthus vase life but using methanolic C. aurantifolia peel extracts is not recommended..