Acetylsalicylic acid increases postharvest longevity of ornamental sunflower inflorescence

Abstract

Sunflower to be used in ornamental floral arrangements need to be free from damage, and have longer shelf life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on the postharvest longevity of ornamental sunflower. Floral stems of the cultivar Vicent’s Choice from Sakata Seed were placed in flasks containing 350 mL of solution containing 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, or 1000 mg of ASA per liter of distilled water. Aspirin® (acetylsalicylic acid) tablets were used as the source of salicylic acid. Grades from 0 to 5 were assigned every day, according to a pre-established criteria for assessing the longevity and quality of the inflorescences. The data were subjected to analysis of variance, Tukey’s test (t = 0.05%), and regression analysis using Sisvar program. Significant differences were observed in the grades from the sixth to the tenth day of treatment, but not in the total longevity. Treatment with 400 mg L-1 of ASA improved the commercial longevity to an average of 9 days, about 4 days more than the control (0 mg L-1). At 400 mg L-1 dose, ASA prolongs the commercial longevity and maintains the postharvest quality of ornamental sunflower stems. However, at the maximum dose used (1000 mg L-1), the evaluated parameters did not show any improvement over the controls.