Ethanol treatments as substitute of silver thiosulphate

Ethanol can increase the vase life of some cut flowers by inhibition of ethylene biosynthesis or ethylene action or both. The effect of different concentrations of ethanol (2, 4 and 6 %) on carnations cultivar ?Pilar? and ?Mundo? was studied. Data were recorded to determinate ethylene production, vase life, fresh weight and solutionuptake over time. Distilled water and silver thiosulphate (0.5 and 1 mM) were used for the control treatments. Continuous treatment with 2 % and 4 % of ethanol for cultivar ?Mundo? and 2 % for cultivar ?Pilar? increased vase life compared with the water treatment. In the senescence phase of ethanol-treated carnation flowers, the typical petals inrolling, characteristic of this process, was not observed,but stems were more dry and fragile, and steam diameter was reduced. The three concentrations of ethanol reduced the peak of ethylene production. The treatments with 2 % and 4 % of ethanol for cultivars ?Mundo? and 2 % for cultivar ?Pilar? delayed the ethylene production compared with the water treatment. All ethanoltreatedflowers reduced the increase of the fresh weight during the first days and increased the relative fresh weight loss in comparison with the silver thioshulphate treatments, which could be related to a reduction of the solution uptake.Original tittle:Effect of Ethanol on Postharvest Quality of Two Carnation CultivarsFull list of authors:Jim?nez Becker, S.; Moreno, M.; Ebrahim Zadeh, A.; Plaza Herrada, B. M.; Verdejo Coto, M. D. M.; Lao Arenas, M. T.Almer?a University ,Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04720, Almer?a, Almer?a, Spain