Effect of Cold Storage of Bulbs and Bulb Weight on Growth, Flowering, Essential Oil Components and Bulb Active Ingredients of Narcissus tazetta Plant

Field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Farm of El-Kassasin Horticultural Research Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, during two successive seasons (2017-2018 and 2018-2019). To evaluate the effect of cold storage periods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5-weeks at 5°C beside room temperature as control) and bulb weight (100, 150 and 200±5 g) of Narcissus tazetta L. cv. Cheerfullness bulbs on growth, flowering, bulbs production, leaf minerals content and some bulb active ingredients. The results showed positive effects of cold storage and bulb weight as well as the interaction between them on growth, flowering and bulbs production. The highest values of vegetative growth, flower quality and early flowering, bulb yield and mineral content of dry leaves were obtained by the interaction between the longest periods of cold storage (5-weeks) with the highest bulb weight (200 g). Whereas higher values of active ingredients in dry bulbs, especially antioxidant activity were recorded by the interaction between the cold storage period of two weeks with weights 150 and 100 g/bulb. These results were recorded in both seasons. All treatments gave differences in essential oil components of flowers.