Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Salicylic acid improves water relations delaying senescence and inhibiting stem-end bacterial growth to increase vase life in cut flower stems of tuberose (Agave amica)
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Research Articles | Published: 19 September, 2026
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Keywords: Vase life, Water balance, Bacterial growth, Poat-harvest treatment, Salicylic acid
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to understand the water relations in cut flower stems of tuberose under the vase solution treatments of salicylic acid (SA), 8-HQC and silver thiosulphate (STS) for prolonging vase life. The relative fresh weight (RFW) and vase solution uptake (VSU) of the cut flower stems were assessed. The senescence parameters viz. petal water content (PWC), electrolyte leakage (EL%) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in florets along with the occurrence of bacterial growth in the vase solution and the stem end of the cut spikes held in SA and 8-HQC were examined. The findings revealed that SA @ 1.5 mM showed the most extended vase life (9.357.38 days) by enhancing water uptake maintaining higher RFW and VSU compared to other treatments of 8-HQC and STS. The PWC increased from day 1 to the maximum (65.73%) on day 3 and declined then. The EL was lowest (15.35%) on day 1 but gradually increased, reaching its peak (50.82%) on day 4, while MDA was low on day 2 (??0.24 m.mol/ml), thereafter increased to be highest on day 4 (1.14 m.mol/ml). Bacterial growth was minimal in SA-treated spikes, both at the stem end (2.93?×?109 CFU/ml) and in the vase solution (1.40?×?109 CFU/ml).
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Author Information
Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Horticulture, Mohanpur, Nadia, India