الفهرس 
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Abstract
This study aimed to : This study was conducted at the Postharvest Laboratory of Vegetable and Ornamental Plants Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt, during 2013 and 2014 years. It aimed to study, the effect of magnetized water, hydration methods and some chemicals in the holding solutions on postharvest characteristics of Gladiolus cut flowers in order to improve their vase life and keeping quality. The study comprises two major experiments : Summary of the first experiment 1-Effect of hydration treatment : Warm water and Tween 20 treatments resulted in the longer vase life, higher water uptake, more relative fresh weight, more maximum relative fresh weight and total chlorophyll content in the leaves. Although Tween 20 treatment achieved the highest value of flower opening, it had more wilted flowers and higher water loss. The treatment of room temperature recorded negative results in all data recorded. 2-Effect of water types Magnetized tap water recorded the best data of water uptake, flowers opening, and total chlorophyll in the leaves, but recorded highest water loss and wilted flowers. Magnetized distilled water resulted in longer vase life, better increase in relative fresh weight, maximum relative fresh weight and a positive value in water balance, and did not increase either water uptake or water loss. 3-Effect of the interaction between hydration treatments and water type:Magnetized tap water, both 0.1% Tween 20 and room temperature, treatments recorded better increase in water uptake, but water loss became the highest with treated magnetized tap water + 0.1% Tween 20. Warm magnetized distilled water and magnetized distilled water + 0.1% Tween 20 had a better water balance, relative fresh weight, maximum relative fresh weight, but achieved the highest value of wilted flowers. Magnetized tap water at room temperature (control) resulted the highest increase in opened flowers and total chlorophyll in the leaves of cut gladiolus flowers. The longest vase life resulted from warm magnetized distilled water and warm magnetized tap water treatments. Summary of the second experiment1Effects of water treatments Water type has no significant effects on vase life of cut gladiolus spikes. Distilled water improved relative fresh weight, total water uptake, but increased wilted flowers. Magnetized tap water improved water uptake, recorded the best values of water balance, slightly improved vase life, but increased wilted flowers of cut gladiolus spikes. Magnetized distilled water showed better maximum increase in relative fresh weight, opened flowers, total chlorophyll and total sugars in the leaves of cut gladiolus spikes. 2-Effect of chemical constitutes;Vase life and total water uptake showed no significant differences among the antimicrobial agents used. However, nano silver at 15 ppm slightly improved water uptake, water balance, opened flowers, and total chlorophyll and total sugars in the leaves of cut gladiolus spikes. 8-HQS at 200 ppm resulted in the best maximum increase in fresh weight and had better water balance for a longer period throughout the vase life and ranked second (after nano silver 15 ppm) in flower opening and total chlorophyll and total sugars in the leaves.3-Effect on the interaction between water treatments and the chemical constitutes ; Although vase life was not significantly affected by the interaction between chemicals and type of water, distilled water plus nano silver at 30 ppm resulted in the relatively longer vase life. In addition, the effect some chemicals on vase life varied according to water type, since silver nitrate and 8-HQS resulted in relatively longer vase life when used with magnetized tap water rather than when used with other water types. On the other hand, nano silver 15 ppm effect on vase life was not affected by the type of water.