Kinetin, gibberellic acid and sucrose affect vase life in Oncidium spp

Cut Oncidium flowers were kept in open solutions. Kinetin at 50 mg.1(1) plu s sucrose at 40 g.l(-1) appeared to be more efficient in maintaining flower longevity than kinetin or sucrose alone. The flower longevity was longer w ith a kinetin pulse followed by a sucrose treatment than a continuous kinet in plus sucrose treatments. Gibberellic acid (GA3) had little effect on kee ping flower longevity in Oncidium. Ethylene production was inhibited by the presence,of sucrose. However, ethylene production was slightly stimulated by treatments of kinetin or GA3 alone as compared with HQS (8-hydroxyquinol ine sulfate) controls. Similarly, ethylene production in kinetin plus sucro se, kinetin plus GA3 plus sucrose and GA3 plus sucrose was slightly enhance d compared with sucrose alone.