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Adenine type and diphenyl urea derived cytokinins improve the postharvest performance of Iris germanica L. cut scapes

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Abstract

An experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of various adenine derived cytokinins (kinetin and 6-benzylaminopurine) and diphenyl urea cytokinin (thidiazuron) on the postharvest performance of cut scapes of Iris germanica. Flower scapes were harvested with the oldest bud at ‘1 day before anthesis stage’, brought to laboratory under water, cut to a uniform length of 35 cm, divided into three sets viz., kinetin (KIN), 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) and thidiazuron (TDZ). Each set of scapes was treated with a particular cytokinin alone or in combination with 0.1 M sucrose. TDZ was effective than KIN and BAP in improving the postharvest life of the I. germanica scapes by 5.4 days as compared to the control (untreated scapes held in distilled water). This was because of the minimum percentage of bud abortion by TDZ application. Cytokinin application resulted in increased antioxidant activity, higher protein and phenolic content, besides a decrease in specific protease activity and α-amino acids in the tepal tissues. Application of TDZ resulted in the maximum increase in the superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activity in the tepal tissues. The scapes treated with BAP and KIN maintained higher carbohydrate content in the tissue samples as compared to control and TDZ treated scapes. TDZ and BAP application resulted in increased membrane stability because of the decreased lipoxygenase activity which prevented membrane lipid peroxidation. Among the cytokinins tested, TDZ proved to be the promising cytokinin in improving the postharvest performance of beautiful flowers of I. germanica scapes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Prof. S. Farooq for his influence through the opportunities he provided and insights he conveyed. Dr. Syed Sabhi Ahmad thanks University Grants Commission, Govt. of India for providing SRF under (UGC-BSR) SRF scheme.

Author’s contribution

Syed Sabhi Ahmad carried out the experiments, obtained results, analyzed, compiled the data and drafted the manuscript. Prof. Inayatullah Tahir helped in designing the experiment, supervised the laboratory work, took the photographs and edited the manuscript. Arif Shafi Wani, Riyaz Ahmad Dar and Shaziya Nisar helped in statistical analysis of the data and in the laboratory work.

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  1. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India

    Syed Sabhi Ahmad, Inayatullah Tahir, Arif Shafi Wani, Riyaz Ahmad Dar & Shaziya Nisar

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  1. Syed Sabhi Ahmad
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  2. Inayatullah Tahir
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Correspondence to Inayatullah Tahir.

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Ahmad, S.S., Tahir, I., Wani, A.S. et al. Adenine type and diphenyl urea derived cytokinins improve the postharvest performance of Iris germanica L. cut scapes. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 24, 1127–1137 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-018-0554-z

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