POSTHARVEST DIP IN A NATURAL LIPID, LYSOPHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINE, MAYPROLONG VASE LIFE OF SNAPDRAGON FLOWERS

We investigated the use of lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) for prol onging vase life of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.). Freshly cut sna pdragon spikes were set into a LPE solution at 25 mg L-1 for 24 h and then transferred to deionized water, The vase life was enhanced by LPE , The flowers on spikes treated with LPE showed symptoms of wilting or browning 4 or 6 days later than those on the spikes given deionized w ater in inbred or 'Potomac White', respectively, All the spikes were o f marketable quality for 5 to 7 days after harvest when treated with L PE, whereas in the control only about half of the flowers were of mark etable quality at 2 days after harvest, LPE treatment also delayed fre sh mass loss, lowered endogenous ethylene production, and reduced ion leakage, These results suggest that LPE has commercial potential in en hancing vase life of snapdragons.