Carnation flowers senescence as influenced by nickel, cobalt and silicon

Abstract

Ethylene acts as a limiting factor for commercial carnation production which can decrease the vase life and postharvest quality. Use of ethylene production inhibitors such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co) may keep the flowers quality for longer period also beneficial elements such as silicone (Si) might possess positive impact on postharvest life of cut flowers of carnations with climacteric respiration. To evaluate the effect of these three elements a completely randomized designed study was carried out, there were 3 replications each of which had 3 ‘Harlem’ carnation flowers. They were put in 500 mL vases which had been filled with 400 mL distilled water for the control treatment and 400 mL solution of the following concentrations: NiSO4 (30, 45, 60 mg.L-1) CoCl2 (50, 75, 100 mg.L-1) and K2SiO3 (100, 150, 200 mg.L-1 ). All elements caused higher vase life and lower ethylene production. Further investigation with other cultivars seems useful.