EFFECT OF HYDRATION TREATMENTS AND MAGNETIZED WATER ON WATER UPTAKE, VASE LIFE AND QUALITY OF THE CUT SPIKES OF GLADIOLUS (Gladiolus hybrida l.) cv. “ROSE SUPREME “

This study was carried out three consequent times during spring of 2013 at the Postharvest Laboratory of Vegetable and Ornamental Plants Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Manso0ura University, Egypt in order to study the effects of hydration treatments and magnetized water on water uptake, relative fresh weight and vase life of cut gladiolus (Gladiolus hybrid L. ) spikes cv. “Rose Supreme “. Three hydration treatments (room temperature water, 0.1 Tween 20 solution, and warm (40 °C) water) and four water types (tap and magnetized tap water in addition to distilled and magnetized distilled water types) were tested. The experiment was analyzed as a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with 5 replicates. The experiment was replicated twice (carried out three times), and a combined analysis was carried out to represent the analyzed data. The results showed that hydration treatments and the use of magnetized water affected water uptake, vase life, and fresh weight of cut gladiolus spikes. As for hydration treatments, warm water and Tween 20 treatments resulted in longer vase life and better increase in fresh weight than room temperature treatment. The results showed that water uptake was highest in case of Tween 20 solution at the beginning of the vase life and decreased thereafter, but spikes placed in warm (40 °C) water had steadier trend in water uptake throughout the vase life. As for water types, the use of magnetized distilled water resulted in longest vase life and highest increase in relative fresh weight of gladiolus spikes in addition to steadier trend in water uptake among the four water types. Longest vase life was achieved using both warm magnetized distilled and warm magnetized tap water, followed by magnetized water (either distilled or tap) plus Tween 20. However, highest increase in fresh weight was achieved using warm magnetized distilled water. Water uptake data showed that best results in longevity and fresh weight increase were related to the trend of water uptake by the flowers throughout the vase life. It is recommended that magnetized water could be used for the preparation of cut flowers preservatives.