Potato Sprout Inhibition and Tuber Quality after Post-Harvest Treatment with Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis L.) Leaves and Branches

Abstract

Storage of potatoes is one of the most important concerns in maintaining freshness and nutritional quality in the storage process. To achieve this, an experiment was carried out with five different storage conditions at various temperatures using fresh rosemary leaves and branches with three replicates. The results revealed that storage of potatoes at 25°C with rosemary leaves and branches resulted in the lowest sprout development and weight loss after 10 weeks. This was significantly different from either 4°C or 30°C. The findings indicated the potential of rosemary fresh leaves and branches to improve potato storage life considering its simplicity and efficacy in decreasing the storage cost, the weight loss and sprouting without causing any environmental toxicity. In addition, the potential of rosemary could be used to other fruits and vegetables to investigate further the possible role of rosemary application to prevent fungal rot.