Cut roses, due to their high ornamental and economic value, require effective strategies to extend postharvest longevity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of silver nanoparticles, graphene oxide, and plasma-activated water, applied individually and in combination, on the physiological traits and vase life of cut roses. To evaluate vase life, the first experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with three replications and eight treatments: distilled water, distilled water + silver nanoparticles, distilled water + graphene oxide, distilled water + silver nanoparticles + graphene oxide, plasma-activated water, plasma-activated water + silver nanoparticles, plasma-activated water + graphene oxide, and plasma-activated water + silver nanoparticles + graphene oxide. To monitor changes in physiological traits over time, a second experiment was designed as a factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design with three replications; the first factor included the same eight treatments, and the second factor was sampling time at 3, 6, and 15 days after treatment application. Results indicated that the treatment combining plasma-activated water, silver nanoparticles, and graphene oxide exhibited the most pronounced positive effects on fresh weight (143.3 g), dry weight (6.39 g), flower diameter (74.33 mm), and solution uptake (0.45 mL·g⁻¹) on day 3. This treatment also produced the longest vase life (26 days). Regarding microbial assessment in the solutions, the treatments of distilled water + silver nanoparticles + graphene oxide and plasma-activated water + silver nanoparticles + graphene oxide showed the lowest microbial contamination at the final day. Moreover, the lowest bacterial count in the stem was observed in the plasma-activated water + silver nanoparticles treatment. In contrast, distilled water alone showed the weakest performance across all parameters. Overall, the results suggest that the combination of plasma-activated water, silver nanoparticles, and graphene oxide represents a promising strategy for significantly improving the quality and extending the postharvest life of cut roses cv. Angel. |
