Cut flowers have become an export income in the global floriculture market. Each type of cut flower has a different vase life and the longevity of their freshness is linked to preharvest, harvest, and postharvest tools and conditions. The postharvest quality and vase life must be considered in order to obtain the desirable qualities of cut flowers, and factors that affect this are important in the floral industry. The use of floral preservative solutions is good practice for prolonging the vase life of cut flowers. Currently, the eco-friendly solutions, which are used as floral preservatives for extending cut flower vase life, have been discovered to be a low-cost and organic alternative as compared to chemical solutions. However, there are certain problems associated with the use of chemical and eco-friendly solutions. The experiment entitled “Effect of essential oils on extension of vase life of cut chrysanthemum cv. arcticqueen” was carried out find out the efficacy of essential oils on physical, physiological and biochemical parameters during the vase life period of chrysanthemum. Artemesia oil, ocimum oil, geranium oil, rosemary oil at 2.5% and 5% concentrations were used after pulsing with 10% sucrose solution. For all the parameter studied geranium oil 2.5% was found well, the reason to might be due to more water uptake more water retention in flower petals of cut chrysanthemum cv. Articqueen.

Chrysanthemum, sucrose, Essential oil, Vase life

Essential oils derived from Artemesia, ocimum, geranium, rosemary have the ability to maintain the quality and prolong the vase life of cut chrysanthemum cv. Arctic queen. Geranium oil was most effective followed by rose mary oil, ocimum oil and artemesia oil. The essential oils by virtue of their active constituents, were capable of inhibiting microbial growth in the vase solution and stem ends of cut flowers. The effective concentration of geranium oil was found to be 2.5%. Among all the essential oil treatments highest vase life (8.98 days) was recorded with geranium oil 2.5% due to better maintenance of cell water balance, by reducing the cut flower sensitivity to ethylene due to the anti bacterial activity of geranium oil due to the preserve of citranellol, gernaoil, linalool, isomethone. These essential oils are eco friendly alternative to manytoxic preservatives currently used in the flower market. Based on the study, we recommend geranium oil 2.5% to use as preservative solution for commercial application in cut chrysanthemum.

A. Nirmala, A. Manohar Rao, P. Prasanth, M. Vijayalaxmi, S. Narendar Reddy and D. Srinivasachary (2023). Effect of essential Oils on Extension of Vase Life of Cut Chrysanthemum cv. Arcticqueen. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8): 169-174.