ZINC OXIDE AND ZINC OXIDE/GRAPHENE NANOPARTICLES USED IN VASE SOLUTIONS ON LISIANTHUS (Eustoma grandiflorum) POSTHARVEST LIFE

Abstract

Recently, an ornamental flower known as lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum), with a vase life of up to 21 days, has been introduced into the Mexican market. In general, to extend the postharvest life of flowers, different vase solutions are used. The application of NPs of zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc oxide/graphene (ZnO/G) on the postharvest life of lisianthus flowers was investigated, and different physiological and quality parameters were evaluated. The results show that the NPs of ZnO and ZnO/G allow maintaining the quality of the floral stem and the leaves during 16 days, by means of greater water absorption and weight gain, generating greater turgor in the leaves, firmness of the pedicel and stimulating the opening of the flowers, as well as more green coloration in leaves in comparison with conventional treatments. These results indicate that the tested NPs can be an alternative to extend the useful life of lisianthus in its application in vase solutions.