Improving the Keeping Quality of Nephrolepis exaltata, I. Branches after Cutting

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of Nano-silver, benzyl adenine, chitosan and glycerol as chemical preservative solutions on enhancing properties of Nephrolepis exaltata vegetative branches. Nine individual applications (Nano-silver at 15 and 20 mg/L, benzyl adenine 10 and 20mg/L, chitosan 0.5 and 1.0 g/L as well as glycerol 1.0 and 2.0 cm/L) and control. Moreover adding sucrose at 5.0 gm/L + citric acid 150 mg/L + 0.5 ml of Tween 20 to all treatments mentioned above. At the end of the experiments there were some trends cleared as the maximum shelf-life period presented with glycerol at 2.0 cm/L, in both seasons. Nano-Silver at 15.0 mg/L treatment gave the higher water uptake percentage, while benzyl adenine at 10.0 mg/L was the pioneer in water loss, even Nano-silver at 15mg/L had the highest water balance. Chlorophyll a (mg/g) after 5 days was highest with Nano-silver at 15 mg/L, but got highest with Nano-silver at 20mg/L after ten days. Chlorophyll b (mg/g) after five days was maximum with glycerol at 1.0cm/L, but chitosan at 0.5gm/L got highest with Nano-silver at 20mg/L after ten days. Glycerol at 2.0cm/L was the highest percentage in the day matter after five days. Chitosan at 1.0gm/L was the maximum percentage in the day matter after ten days. Total sugar was the pioneer in Nano silver at 20mg/L after five and ten days. However, chitosan at 0.5gm/L gave the maximum microbial growth after five and ten days.