Effect of pulsing treatments (calcium chloride+ sucrose and distilled water) with fixed hormonal treatments on postharvest quality of cut Gerbera flowers

In this experiment, the effect of short term treatments (pulsing) with distilled- water or calcium chloride4% +sucrose 3% and permanent hormonal treatments with giberellic acid in levels 25 and 50 (ppm), benzyl adenine in levels 150 and 250 ppm and 5-sulphosalicilic acid in levels 100 and 200 ppm on the changes of fresh weight and flower diameter between days 0 to 12 (0, 3, 6, 9, 12) was investigated. This research was statically completely randomized design with 3 replications. In each experimental unit, 3 flowers were studied. Giberellic acid 30 ppm in distilled-water pulse was the most influential in preventing the decrease of the diameter of the flower, while, benzyl adenine 250ppm in both pulses turned out to have the highest effect on preventing the decrease of fresh weight . The lowest fresh weight and diameter were for the control using calcium chloride+ sucrose. In this experiment, cross effects between pulse and hormonal treatments were not very important.