الفهرس 
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Abstract
It aimed to study the effect of silver nitrate, nano-silver particles and cold storage on vase life and quality of cut roses. Cut roses (Rosa hybrida L.) of two local cultivars (Red and White) were placed in distilled water, 10 ppm silver nitrate, or 5 ppm nano silver particles for three hours either fresh (without storage) or pulsed after they have been wrapped in newspapers and stored dry (without water) inside a refrigerator at 5 ±1°C for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Vase life and quality (expressed as maximum increase % of original fresh weight) of the flowers were determined under laboratory conditions (24 hours fluorescent light about (1500 lux), 25 ± 2˚C, and 50 ± 5% relative humidity (RH)).The highest water uptake after the first 24 hours in the vase was that of the red cultivar flowers stored for 24 hours and pulsed with 5 ppm nano silver for 3 hours before placement in the vase water. The red cultivar flowers either stored for 24 hours or fresh (non stored) and pulsed in 5 ppm nano silver solution for 3 hours before placement in the vase water recorded the highest average water uptake. Generally, there were no differences in vase life between flowers pulsed for 3 hours with either 5 ppm nano silver or those pulsed with 10 ppm silver nitrate.
The longest vase life was that of the fresh (non stored) flowers pulsed with 10 ppm silver nitrate which recorded 9.8 days for flowers of the White cultivar and 7 days for the Red ones.
Storage of cut rose flowers resulted in longer shelf life, but shorter vase life which in favor for the retailer but not for the customer. Pulsing with nano silver resulted in best quality expressed the highest increase in fresh weight of the flowers, especially for the fresh (non stored) Red cultivar flowers. There was a positive relationship between the total carbohydrates content of the flower at the time it is placed in the vase and its vase life, since the total carbohydrates content in the fresh flower was higher in the white cultivar than the red one, and in the fresh flower than the stored one. In addition, the total carbohydrates content in the flower decreased as the storage period increased.
There was a negative relationship between bacterial growth in the vase solution and the vase life of the flower, since the number of bacterial colonies in flower solutions pulsed with silver nitrate or nano silver was less than those pulsed with water only, and was less in fresh flowers than in the stored ones. In addition, the number of bacterial colonies increased as the storage period increased.
Choosing rose cultivar with longer vase life since cultivars differ in their vase life. Using fresh (non stored) rose flowers and pulsing them in 10 ppm silver nitrate solution before placement in the vase water. When it is necessary to store flowers and not selling them directly, it is better to store them no more than 24 hours and treating them as previously mentioned. It is recommended to carry out more experiments in the future to test storing flowers at lower temperatures, using higher concentrations of nano silver, and increasing the pulsing period for more than 3 hours.