Evaluation of Thymus laevigatus aqueous extract on sprouting and weight loss of stored potato

Humaid, Younis Ahmed; Al-Thobhani, Mansoor Abdul Halim; Alqadasi, Adel Sultan

doi:10.22059/ijhst.2025.378551.871

Evaluation of Thymus laevigatus aqueous extract on sprouting and weight loss of stored potato

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Younis Ahmed Humaid

Mansoor Abdul Halim Al-Thobhani

Adel Sultan Alqadasi

Department of Horticulture and its Techniques, Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen

10.22059/ijhst.2025.378551.871

Abstract

Potato is considered one of the economically important horticultural crops in Yemen. However, due to the high costs of cold storage and sprout-inhibiting chemicals, potatoes are consumed fresh and cannot be stored for long periods. As a result, prices fluctuate based on the production season. Recently, natural plant products, as an alternative to industrial chemical compounds used in storing potatoes, have received attention due to their effectiveness, ease of application, and safety on human health and the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thyme aqueous extract at four concentrations (0, 250, 500, and 750 ppm) and a storage period of 12 weeks on sprouting and weight loss of potato tubers. The present experiment was conducted under room conditions, based on a factorial RCBD design with three replications. The results showed that a concentration of 250 ppm achieved the highest inhibition rate of sprouting and the least weight loss with 33.33% and 5.76%, respectively. There was no significant difference among thyme concentrations on the sprouting of tubers. At the same time, a significant difference was observed with tuber weight loss. The weight loss was 7.98%, 6.68%, 5.98%, and 5.76% with 0, 750, 500, and 250 ppm, respectively. According to the results, thyme aqueous extract can increase the shelf life of stored potato tubers.

Keywords

Potato

Sprouting

Thymus laevigatus

Weight loss