Author(s):

KC Bhanu Murthy and Dr. K Venkat Subbaiah

Abstract: A laboratory trial was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of different floral preservatives on extension of vase life of cut gerbera cv. Savannah under ambient storage condition. All the cut gerberas were precooled at 5oC for 6 hours and followed by pulsing with sucrose 20% + sodium hypochlorite 50 ppm for 12 hours and then kept in preservative floral solutions i.e. neem extract, rosemary oil, calcium chloride and their combinations along with sucrose 4%. Using the solution of neem extract 1% + calcium chloride 0.1 % + sucrose 4% significantly maintained water relations and reduced scape bending curvature as compared to all other treatments. Anthocyanin content in ligules and total soluble solids in flower stalk of cut gerberas kept in neem extract 1% + calcium chloride 0.1 % + sucrose 4% solution were also highest i.e. 6.66 mg Congo Red/g f wt and 10.13 ^o Brix respectively. The cut gerberas kept in solution of neem extract 1% + calcium chloride 0.1 % + sucrose 4% solution recorded lowest optical density (0.046) which was attributed due to lowest microbial count (3.42 x 10⁵ cfu/ml) and resulted in highest vase life of 13.37 days compared to control (4.71 days) with highest microbial count (9.22 x 10⁶ cfu/ml).

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