The longevity of cut flowers is limited by their ephemeral nature and by multiple stresses. Impairment in water uptake, depletion of stored carbohydrates, increases in both respiratory activity and ethylene production are signatures of flower senescence. A wide range of techniques is available to extend flower preservation, including the use of flower preservative solutions, ethylene action inhibitors, growth regulators, and control of temperature and flower dehydration. The use of sucrose in pulsing solution, or as a component of vase solution, extends the vase life of flowers by either improving water balance and energy or delaying the senescence via reductions in ethylene biosynthesis. Inhibitors of ethylene production and action affect the longevity by extending the vase life of some ethylene-sensitive flowers. Flowers have intense respiratory activity, which may deplete the limited reserves of carbohydrates in the tissues. Lower temperatures markedly reduce both carbon dioxide concentration and ethylene production as well as its action. However, chilling-sensitive flowers, such as bird-of-paradise, heliconia, orchid, and ginger, cannot be stored below 10 to 13°C due to the intense development of tissue discoloration.

The salinity of irrigation water and soil create considerable challenges in agriculture, as they harm the physiological processes and growth of plants. The exogenous application of antioxidant compounds, such as salicylic acid, can reduce the damage caused by salt stress. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the attenuation of salt stress induced by salicylic acid in Ocimum basilicum “Cinnamon”. The experiment was performed in randomized blocks with five irrigation water salinity levels (0.5, 1.3, 3.25, 5.2 and 6.0 dS m-1) and five salicylic acid concentrations (0, 0.29, 1.0, 1.71 and 2.0 mM), with five repetitions and two plants per plot. Growth, gas exchange, and chlorophyll indices and fluorescence were evaluated 30 days after the salt treatment was applied. An increase in the salinity of irrigation water decreased the plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, stomatal conductance, instantaneous water use efficiency, and initial fluorescence of basil “Cinnamon”. Salicylic acid was revealed to attenuate the harmful effects of irrigation water salinity on gas exchange, total chlorophyll, and initial and maximum fluorescence of basil plants.

However, for pot cultivation, there are few commercial cultivars available, since most plants of Capsicum are relatively large and were selected for field cultivation to produce fruits for fresh consumption or for industrial processing (^{Finger et al., 2012}).

Bananas are usually ripened with calcium carbide (CaC₂), a dangerous substance that can cause food poisoning. The objective was to test the empirical ripening banana method using Bowdichia virgilioides leaves compared to carbide. Ripening tests were carried out using ‘Pacovan’ banana fruits with B. virgilioides leaves and carbide following the empirical method used by Borborema farmers, Paraíba, Brazil. Bowdichia virgilioides leaves induced increased respiration and ascorbic acid production and reduced acidity, chlorophyll and pH in banana fruits like CaC₂. Leaves of B. virgilioides induce ripening of ‘Pacovan’ banana with safer and same results than with CaC₂.

This study aimed to determine the post‐harvest quality of lettuce treated with ozonised water obtained in a microbubble system. The inlet ozone concentration was fixed at 3.5 mg L ⁻¹ , which allowed obtaining 1.60 mg L ⁻¹ of ozone in the water. Six treatments were adopted: (i) control (untreated lettuce); (ii) ozonised water/5 min; (iii) ozonised water/10 min; (iv) oxygen/5 min; (v) oxygen/10 min; and (vi) chlorine/15 min. After the treatments, the samples were stored at 5°C and at a relative humidity of 80%. Microbiological and physicochemical analyses were performed immediately after ozonation (day 0) and after 3 and 6 days of storage. Reductions in the count of aerobic mesophiles and molds and yeasts were observed, immediately after the treatments with ozonised water. For the treatments ozonised water/5 min and ozonised water/10 min, the reductions of aerobic mesophiles were equal to 0.71 and 1.59 log reduction respectively, when compared to the control. Despite the significant increase in the leakage of electrolytes, especially when it was adopted exposure time to ozonated water of 10 min, it was considered that the conditions adopted favour the lettuce sanitation, without causing changes that make the product non‐tradable.