Vol. 9, Special Issue 11, Part A (2025)

An experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2022 at the Postgraduate Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, R.B.S College, Bichpuri, Agra, to investigate the effect of post-harvest preservatives on the vase life of chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora) cv. Zembla. The study was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) comprising nine treatments and three replications, making a total of 27 vases and 81 cut stems. The treatments included: distilled water (control), sucrose (4%), sucrose (2%) + Al₂(SO₄)₃ (200 ppm), sucrose (2%) + citric acid (100 ppm), sucrose (2%) + NAA (100 ppm), sucrose (2%) + GA₃ (100 ppm), Al₂(SO₄)₃ (200 ppm) + NAA (100 ppm), citric acid (100 ppm) + GA₃ (100 ppm), and Al₂(SO₄)₃ (200 ppm) + citric acid (100 ppm) Among all treatments, sucrose (2%) + Al₂(SO₄)₃ (200 ppm) proved to be the most effective in enhancing post-harvest quality. Stems held in this solution recorded the largest flower head diameter (7.8 cm), minimum decline in fresh weight (10.1 g), highest solution uptake (218 mL), superior visual quality score (4.6), and the longest vase life (27 days). Moreover, this treatment delayed floret senescence initiation (22 days), complete senescence (29 days), and leaf yellowing initiation (18 days). Although all preservative combinations performed better than the control, sucrose (2%) + Al₂(SO₄)₃ (200 ppm) consistently outperformed the rest in maintaining freshness and extending vase life of cut chrysanthemum stems.