GA₄₊₇ plus benzyladenine in combination with sucrose improves postharvest leaf and inflorescence quality in Lilium ‘Alma Ata’

The interaction between foliar treatment with 100 mg∙dm–3 of both gibberellic acid 4+7 (GA4+7) and benzyladenine (BA) and vase solution containing 3% sucrose was analysed in cut Lilium ‘Alma Ata’. GA4+7+BA considerably delayed leaf senescence, suppressed anthocyanin accumulation in the leaves of plants held in the sucrose solution and improved the average longevity of the flowers and the vase life of the stems. Sucrose in the vase solution strongly reduced the abscission of leaves and contributed to the enlargement of the top flower. The number of significant interactions between the treatments indicated that the investigated factors acted dependently mainly on flower quality, while their action on leaf quality was mostly independent. Results show that combined treatment with growth regulators and sucrose may considerably increase postharvest quality of cut Lilium ‘Alma Ata’.