Triacontanol: The Role Player in Polianthes tuberosa var. Pearl Response to under natural conditions

Tuberose is widely recognized as one of the most important cut flowers in Iran and around the world. To assess the impact of triacontanol (TRIA) on various characteristics of tuberose, an experiment was conducted at the greenhouse of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with four treatments and three replicates. The treatments consisted of different levels of TRIA (0 mg/L as control, 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 150 mg/L). These treatments were applied through foliar spraying three times: at 30, 45, and 60 days after planting. The results of this study indicated that foliar application of TRIA at 150 mg/L resulted in an increase in vase life, Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX) activity, and flower fresh weight. The concentration of 100 mg/L of TRIA showed greater effects on peroxidase (POD) activity, solution absorption, and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, b, and total) compared to other concentrations. Under natural conditions, P. tuberosa responded to changes in electrolyte leakage, weight, solution absorption, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Vase life changes were found to be correlated with the activity of antioxidant enzymes APX, POD, and Catalase (CAT). According to the regression coefficient, a one-unit change in APX, POD, and CAT resulted in 0.2901, 0.1143, and 0.0897 units changes in vase life, respectively. Overall, the application of TRIA as a foliar spray significantly enhanced most of the recorded traits compared to the control treatment. The findings from this study suggest that using TRIA hormone as a foliar spray can be highly beneficial in increasing the yield and biochemical properties of cut tuberose flowers.