Extension of the Vase Life of Cut Roses by Both Improving Water Relations and Repressing Ethylene Responses

In cut roses (Rosa hybrida L.), the vase life of ethylene-sensitive cultivars (SENS) is determined byethylene, and that of ethylene-insensitive cultivars (INSENS) is closely related to water relations. This variation in senescence among rose cultivars makes it difficult to prolong the vase life of cutroses after harvest. In this study, we investigated the combination effect of germicide and ethyleneinhibition on the postharvest characteristics of cut rose ‘Matador’ and ‘Dolcetto’ cultivars. Cutroses were treated with three preservative solutions: sodium hypochlorite (Cl), sodium hypochlorite +aminoisobutyric acid (ClA), and sodium hypochlorite + aminoisobutyric acid + 1-methylcyclopropene(ClAM), subsequently exposed to ethylene. We found that all treatments extended the vase life andimproved the postharvest quality in the both rose cultivars. Among these, ClAM was the mosteffective treatment solution, significantly extending the vase life by 4.3 days in ‘Matador’ (SENS)and 4.7 days in ‘Dolcetto’ (INSENS) compared with control flowers. ClAM also effectivelyinhibited bacterial growth in the vase, enhanced solution uptake, and maintained the initial freshweight and a positive water balance for longer periods. In addition, we found that ClAM stronglyinhibited ethylene-induced petal senescence by suppressing the transcript levels of RhACS2 andRhACO1 in the both rose cultivars. These results suggest that ClAM can be used in a wide range ofrose cultivars to prolong the longevity of cut roses due to its combination effects with inhibition ofethylene damage and improvement of water absorption. KCI Citation Count: 0