AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENT OF VASE LIFE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GERBERA CUT FLOWERS BY APPLE FRUIT EXTRACT AND ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OILS

Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) from the Asteraceae family with scientific name is one of the world's best cut flowers. Post-harvest senescence is a main limiting factor of many cut flowers’ marketability. This research was conducted to investigate the effects of the treatments with rosemary essential oils (200 mg L^-1) and apple extract (30, 45 and 60 ml L^-1) separately and in combination on the vase life and some physiological characteristics of gerbera cut flowers with a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with three replications. The results showed that all treatments significantly increased vase life, total soluble solids of petal, flower diameter, relative fresh weight, solution absorption, and petal carotenoids and decreased solution pH. The longest and shortest vase lives(20.33 and 9 days) were obtained in the apple extract treatment (60 ml L^-1) and control, respectively.Overall, it was found that the rosemary essential oil as a safe and natural antimicrobial compound and apple extract having sugary and acid materials and being affordable and safe could be used in gerbera cut flower’s preservative solution.