EFFECT OF SOME POST-HARVEST TREATMENTS ON CUT LEAVES OF CHAMAEDOREA ELEGANS

This study was carried out at the Post-harvest Lab. of Ornamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Res. Dept., Hort. Res. Inst., Giza, Egypt during the two seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of GA3, BA, 8-HQC, CA and Sug. as preservative solution on improving the quality of the leaves, delaying leaf wilting and leaf yellowing and extending the shelf life period of cut leaves of Chamaedorea elegans. The results showed that, the treatment of the solution containing T14: GA3 at 50 ppm + BA at 20 ppm + 8-HQC at 300 ppm + CA at 300 ppm + Sug. at 2%, followed by the solution containing the T13: GA3 at 50 ppm + BA at 20 ppm + CA at 300 ppm +  Sug. at 2% significantly increased the water uptake, water balance, general appearance, vase life, concentration of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids and total carbohydrates. It also reduced the amount of water loss in all days compared to other treatments. It can be recommended holding cut foliage of Chamaedorea elegans in solution containing GA3 at 50 ppm + BA at 20 ppm + 8-HQC at 300 ppm + CA at 300 ppm + Sug. at 2% followed by the solution containing GA3 at 50 ppm + BA at 20 ppm + CA at 300 ppm + Sug. at 2% to improve cut leaves quality and longer vase life was reached 84 days.