EFFECT OF PRESERVATIVE SOLUTIONS DURING WET STORAGE IN VASE LIFE OF ZINNIA FLOWERS

This research was undertaken in Cold Storage Units Dept. of Hort College of Agri. /Univ. of Baghdad in spring season/2007 to prolonge vase life of (Zinnia .elegans) flowers after cold storage by treating with different preservative solutions ; (sucrose5and10gm/l),(8HQS200and400gm/l),(AgNO(3)50and100mg/l),(CONO(3)100and200mg/l),(STS200and400mg/l) and control treatment(distilled water). Water uptake was studied (cm(3))and the change in fresh weight(g)and total sugar(g/l)and Peroxidase enzyme activity during cold storage, and vase life of flowers(day)after store in preservative solutions. A completely randomize design was used with three replications Each replicate contained five flower stalks. The results showed sucrose treatment at10gm/l significantly increased total sugar content in flowers to 7.24gm/l, then 5gm/l(7.23gm/l)as compared with control (5.76gm/l). Peroxidase activity was reduced significantly in flowers preserved in STS and AgNO3 with both conc. (33.67,32.90) and (34,34.44), respectively. Sucrose at 5 and 10gm/l significantly increased vase life to 6.67 and 5.67 days as compared with control (2.67 days). Then AgNO3,STS and 8HQS treatments at all concentrations. The results showed considerable increases in the water uptake and fresh wet of flowers during storage period for all preservative solutions tested as compared with the control.