Preharvest and postharvest techniques that optimize the shelf life of fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum L.): a review

Lara J Brindisi; James E Simon

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1237577

Preharvest and postharvest techniques that optimize the shelf life of fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum L.): a review

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Sep 8:14:1237577. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1237577. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Lara J Brindisi¹, James E Simon¹

Affiliation

¹ New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, Department of Plant Biology and the Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE), Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a popular specialty crop known for its use as a culinary herb and medicinal plant around the world. However, its profitability and availability are limited by a short postharvest shelf life due to poor handling, cold sensitivity and microbial contamination. Here, we comprehensively review the research on pre- and postharvest techniques that extend the shelf life of basil to serve as a practical tool for growers, distributors, retailers and scientists. Modifications to postharvest storage conditions, pre- and postharvest treatments, harvest time and preharvest production methods have been found to directly impact the quality of basil and its shelf life. The most effective strategies for extending the shelf life and improving the quality of basil are discussed and promising strategies that research and industry employ are identified.

Keywords: chilling injury; cold stress; handling; shipping; storage.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

Partial support for this project came from the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) Research Project IS-5292-20R2020-2021, “Next-generation basil: Mapping chilling-tolerance in sweet basil using next-generation sequencing for a long-lasting product” awarded to Rutgers University and the Newe Ya’ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO). Additional support came from the USDA/SCRI grants 2018-03382, “Managing downy mildew and fusarium in basil with new resistant varieties, advanced genetics, seed treatment, and disease occurrence mapping” and 2022-05250, “Investigating the genetic basis of downy mildew and bacterial leaf spot resistance in basil (Ocimum spp.) using advanced genomic techniques” to Rutgers University and the New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station Hatch Project NJ12170.