Treatment with peracetic acid extends the vase life of lisianthus (eustoma grandiflorum) flowers

The effect of peracetic acid on the vase life and bud opening of cut flowers of Lisianthus was investigated. Eustoma grandiflorum is an attractive cut flower with a considerable length of vase life (usually weeks for freshly harvested stems). It is well known that the addition of sucrose into the vase solution increases significantly the longevity of cut flowers. Two different experiments of vase life were carried out. The first used cultivars of the Mariachi Series: Blue, Green, Blue Picotee, and Pink, whereas the second used Rosita White and Piccolo White 1. The control plants (T1) were supplied with tap water. Treatment 2 (T2) was similar to T1 with the addition of3%sucrose. In the third (T3) and fourth (T4) treatments, sodium hypochlorite and a stabilized peracetic mixed system (PAA) were added, respectively. The number of flowers that opened from buds between cultivars was significantly different. With the addition of sucrose into the vase solution, a significant increase in longevity was recorded, which was also observed after the addition of both biocides to the respective treatments. This can be extended up to 15% by the addition of sucrose to the vase solution and up to 30% if PAA is incorporated into the vase solution. The results suggest that PAA can be a useful alternative to sodium hypochlorite for vase solutions because it is without the health drawbacks of trihalomethanes. The degradation of PAA is environmentally friendly, because it decomposes to form biodegradable acetic acid and eventually enters the environment as atomic oxygen.