Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus ex. Hook f.) is one of the most important cut flowers in floriculture industry with high economic value. Short post-harvest life is main barrier for the gerbera marketing which is related to water relation disruption resulted from microbial population in preservative solution and exposure to ethylene. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to study the combination effect of an ethylene inhibitor, 1-MCP (0, and 1 L L-1), and two antimicrobial agents, ajowan [Carum copticum (L.) C. B. Clarke] essential oil [EO] (0 and 15 L L-1) and silver nanoparticles [AgNPs] (0 and 40 L L-1), on postharvest life of ‘Pink Power’ gerbera cut flowers. The results showed that stem diameter reduced in both cut stem-end (CSE) and below the flower head (BFH) but the amount of decrease in CSE was more than BFH, and applied treatments had no significant effect on those decrease rate. However, both ajowan EO and AgNPs treatments reduced the number of bacteria at the CSE, ajowan EO was more effective than AgNPs and induced more vase solution uptake. Stem-end electrolyte leakage (EL) was not affected by 1-MCP treatment, while petal EL was lower in 1-MCP treated flowers. The least wilting percentage and the longest vase life were observed in combination treatment of 1-MCP and either ajowan EO or AgNPs. It could be concluded that 1-MCP combined with ajowan EO or AgNPs, potentially can be used as a preservative solution to enhance post-harvest life, delay flower senescence and prolong vase life of gerbera cut flowers.
