Efficacy of postharvest treatments with sodium nitroprusside and gibberellic acid on physio-biochemical modifications and vase life of dahlia cut flower.

• Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) individually or combination with gibberellic acid (GA 3) increase vase life of dahlia cut flower. • Postharvest quality of cut flower improves treated with SNP and GA 3 PGRs. • Physiological traits such as solution uptake, fresh weight, anthocyanin content, etc. improves in cut flower by using both PGRs. • Exogenous SNP and GA 3 modulates antioxidant activity (CAT, SOD, POD, MDA) in dahlia cut flower. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the impacts of both sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and gibberellic acid (GA 3) separately and in combination on the longevity of Dahlia cut flowers. Additionally, the potential physiological and biochemical changes associated with these treatments are also examined. Cut flowers treated with nitric oxide donor SNP and GA 3 significantly improved all postharvest characteristics of cut flowers, including vase life and other physiological characteristics, as compared to control. Flowers treated with T 15 (SNP 20 mg L-l + GA 3 20 mg L-l) resulted in maximum vase life, followed by treatment T 3 (SNP 20 mg-l) and minimum vase life recorded in control. Treatment T 15 (SNP 20 mg L-l + GA 3 20 mg L-l) shows an improvement in all biochemical activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase activity, except malondialdehyde accumulation, as compared with untreated cut flowers. Thus, SNP alone or along with GA 3 as a pulsing solution could be a promising approach to improving the postharvest quality of dahlia cut flowers by influencing physiological and biochemical modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]