Salicylic acid and jasmonic acid treatments for potentially extending the longevity of cut Acacia holosericea foliage

Acacia holosericea is a novel cut foliage line with a short vase life. Postharvest application of salicylic acid (SA) can extend the vase life of cut flower. SA is a host defence inducer, as is jasmonic acid (JA). SA and JA were compared as vase solution additives for A. holosericea. Three experiments were conducted that also compared these two chemicals with H⁺ and Cu²⁺ as known vase life extending additives. Vase solutions containing SA at 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 mM gave ~1.3- to 1.5-fold vase life extensions as compared with the distilled water (DW; control). Provision of Cu²⁺ and JA at 0.5 mM in vase solutions also prolonged vase life by ~1.3-fold as compared with DW. The positive effect of SA tended to be greater than that of JA, but was inferior to that of Cu²⁺ at the same concentration. However, trend differences among these treatments were not statistically significant. Cut A. holosericea foliage stems treated with SA and JA exhibited higher relative fresh weight (RFW) and vase solution uptake rates as compared with DW. Overall, SA and JA evidently extended the vase life of cut A. holosericea foliage by inhibiting water loss and maintaining RFW during the vase period.