RESPONSE OF ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) PLANTS CULTIVATED IN SANDY SOILS TO POSTHARVEST TREATMENTS AND MICROBIAL LOAD

Abstract

This investigation was carried out during the period (2017/2020), at El-Quassassin Horticultural Research Station, Ismailia Governorate, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt. The aim of this research was to arrive at the best methods of post-harvest treatments for rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) plants, such as the optimum drying method, the best storage package and the storage period that maintain the content of dry leaves of volatile oil, chlorophyll a, b, a+b and carotenoids, through three years. From the results of this research, drying in the shade for a period of 7 days was the best method, followed by drying in the oven at a temperature of 40° for a period of 6 hours, and that storage in glass jars was the best, followed by storage in carton bags, for a storage period of up to two or three years. The microbial load results indicated that the best drying method was sun drying with storage in glass containers, followed by oven drying and storage in glass containers, followed by carton bags, and that increased the storage period, reduced the percentage of microbial content, especially with oven drying, followed by sun drying, especially in packages glass jars followed by carton pages.