Longevity and Some Metabolic Events in Post- Harvest Spray-carnation (d. Caryophyllus F. Spray, Hort.) Flowers

Senescence and stresses have been documented to promote ethylene synthesis in ethylene-sensitive flower such as carnations. Thus the inhibition of ethylene evolution might lead to activation of other metabolic reactions. Present experiments were undertaken with cut at bud stage spray-carnation (D. caryophyllus f. spray, Hort.) flowers, cv. Regina and cv. Naslada. Tested cultivars are a new breeding result at Institute of Floriculture, Sofia. After harvest treatments with AOA and sucrose were applied using AOA as senescence retarding agent. The goal was to trace how proline content and α-amylase were affected when ethylene synthesis was inhibited. Considerable extension of vase-life (about 128% over the control) and bud opening to fully open flowers were established in response to AOA and AOA+sucrose treatments. A stimulation α-amylase activity was noticed at the beginning of post-harvest petal growth. In response to AOA treatment the activity of α-amylase and the content of free proline remained on a lower level which indicated less exhibited stress reaction and this was associated with a retardation of senescence processes. The studied metabolic events showed a specificity of cultivar behaviour.