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Cultivation, Processing and Utilization of Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis

L.)

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Rosemary Production
and
Utilization

Tigist German
Beemnet Mengesha
Muluken Philiphos
Mihiret Mekonnen

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research

EIAR, 2016
Website: http://www.eiar.gov.et
Tel: 011-6 46 26 33/0116 46 01 37
Fax: 011-646 12 94
P.O.Box: 2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

ISBN: 9789994466337

Technical support: Abebe Kirub

Copy editing and design: Elizabeth Baslyos and Solomon Tadesse
Printing and binding: Abeselom Kassa, Haymanot Tadege, Meseret
Kebede, Wudnesh Mamo and Miftah Hargeta
 Table of contents

1. Introduction ................................................ 2
1.1 Rosemary and its uses .....................2
2. Seedling Preparation ................................. 4
3. Field Management Operations ............. 13
3.1 Land preparation ............................13
3.2 Transplanting .................................13
3.3 Watering .........................................14
3.4 Hoeing and weeding ......................15
3.5 Fertilizer application ......................16
3.6 Disease and pests of rosemary .....16
3.7 Diseases, symptoms and control ..17
4. Harvesting and Post Harvest Handling20
4.1 Harvesting times ............................20
4.2 Cares during harvesting time ........20
4.3 Preparation of fresh rosemary leaves……
18
4.4 Leaf drying .....................................21
4.5 Extraction and proper storage .....22
4.6 Quality standards ...........................23
5. Marketing Aspect of Rosemary ............ 24

1
 1. Introduction

1.1 Rosemary and its uses

The scientific name of Rosemary is Rosmarinus
officinalis. In Ethiopia Rosemary is popular by its local
name ‘’Yetebes Ketel’’ which means a leaf used for
roasting; the name arises from its widespread use for
seasoning meat while roasting. It is also known by an
alternative local name as ‘’Azmerino’’. Rosemary is a
perennial shrub; if it is managed properly, it can give
economical yield from 4 to 7 years.

Because of its attractiveness and pleasant aroma

rosemary is used as a ground cover and garden plant. It
can be planted as a hedge. It is a good source of nectar
for bees. The plant is used as an insect repellent and in
some cases used as a holiday pot plant at Christmas.
Moreover, the fresh and dried leaves of rosemary and its
essential oil has several uses.

Fresh and dried rosemary leaves, whole or ground, are

used as seasonings for soups, stews, sausages, meat,
fish, and poultry, In Ethiopia it is used in the
preparation of traditional food ingredients like Berebere
and Shero etc. Its essential oil is used as an ingredient
in various industries. For instance, the oil is used for
meat and other food processing. Rosemary acts on the
hair follicles by stimulating hair growth, thus it is used
for the preparation of hair foods. It is used in preparation
of massage oils and ointments for massage and
aromatherapy purposes. It is used for relief from
depression and sleepy feelings. It is also used as an
ingredient in soaps, creams, candles, deodorants, hair
tonics, shampoos, fresheners and organic pesticides. It is
an excellent fixative material and contributes a strong,
fresh oil odor, which blends well with various other oils
odor and serves to mask the unpleasant smells of certain
other ingredients.

1.2 Requirements for rosemary

cultivation
Rosemary can be grown in a wide range of
environmental conditions. It can tolerate drought and
frost conditions. Rosemary grows well in areas that has
an average temperature ranges from 20 to 25oc, and
receive above 500 mm average annual rainfall.
However, if the soil is dry at the time of seedling
transplanting; irrigation is required. Rosemary performs
well within an altitude range from 1500 up to 3000

3
meters above sea level. Rosemary requires a well
drained sandy to clay loam soil with a pH range of 5.5 to
8.0. It does not grow well in waterlogged or high clay
soils. If the clay content of the soil is high,
incorporation of compost or fine gravel can amend the
soil for rosemary production.

2. Seedling Preparation

2.1 Time of seedling preparation

Time of seedling preparation depends on the time plan
for field transplanting and harvesting. According to the
experience in Wondo Genet Agricultural Research
center, transplanting rosemary at the beginning of rainy
season allows rosemary seedlings to utilize the soil
moisture effectively and ensure high seedling survival
rate, rapid establishment and growth. Seedlings need to
be raised in nursery for three months duration.
Therefore, seedling rising should be planned three
months ahead of the commencement of the rainy season.
On the other hand, producers have to bear in mind the
fact that the split transplanting of rosemary at different
times of the year, depending on market prediction will
allow producers to ensure good quality and continuous
fresh herb supply and maximize their profit.

Nursery site selection and bed

preparation:
The site that will be selected as seedling nursery should
meet the following criteria:
 Water is adequately available.
 Nearby the main field.
 Convenient for frequent visitors.
 Protected from domestic and wild animal
intervention.
 Where raw materials for shade construction like
wood and grass, forest soil for pot filling are
available nearby.
 Should have road access to raw materials and
seedling transportation by means of a vehicle or
other means of transportation depending on the
situation.
 Having enough space to accommodate the whole
seedlings planned to be raised.
 It should be in open space free from the effect of
shading and litters of trees so that seedlings can
get enough light.

5
  If possible the area shall be protected from wind
by wind break trees.

After selecting the nursery site taking into consideration

the above listed criteria. The next step will be seedling
bed and shed preparation as illustrated on Figure 1.
Individual nursery bed shall have a size of 1m width and
10 m length.The width of nursery beds should not
exceed 1m for easy of watering and weeding.

In order to prevent the falling of seedlings placed on

border sides of the beds, either the beds shall be sunken
by a depth of 5cm or a wooden support shall be placed
on the entire border of the beds. Shed on nursery bed
can be constructed at the height of 1m or 2m with
locally available materials like dry grass broad tree
leaves, sugar cane leaves, palm tree leaves etc. While
making shed, do not use leaves that can transmit disease
to the seedlings, leaves that easily fall as a litter on
seedlings. The use of plant materials that emit essential
oils or any other chemical effect has to be avoided. For
instance, if aromatic plants like eucalyptus globules are
used, the volatile essential oil emitted from those
aromatic leaves can have a detrimental effect on
seedlings.
Do not place excessive shedding materials on the beds,
till it completely prevent the entrance of sunlight. The
nursery beds should be laid out on east to west direction,
that will provid adequate and uniform sun light for
healthy seedling growth. Otherwise, the seedling may
not grow healthily and uniformly or can even die out.

Pot filling: Pots to raise seedlings shall have a

diameter of 8-10 cm. Using plastic pots having a
diameter less than 8cm gives small and weak seedling
since it does not provide adequate nutrient and space for
root growth. On the other hand using plastic pots having
greater than 10cm diameter is not profitable. Because
when the diameter increases the volume of the soil
required for pot filling increases, that will increase the
cost of pot filling, needs more space and increase the
cost of transportation.

Use commercially available rolled polyethylene plastics

that have a diameter of 8-10cm, prepare the plastics for
soil filling by cutting at the length of about 10-12cm
Prepare and sieve forest soil, sand and top soils for pot
filling. Sieving discard stones, broken woods, big sized
gravels and soil granules, etc., if sieving is not done

7
seedling growth will be affected by those unwanted
materials that hinder root expansion and disturb proper
water flow.

Next to sieving polyethylene plastic pots need to be

filled with compost (forest soil); top soil and sand with a
ratio of 2:1:1 respectively. That allows adequate air and
water circulation. Be careful not to over compress the
soil in pots; Compact pots will cause difficulty in root
aeration and penetration that result in poor seedling
establishment. To cover on a hectare of land with
rosemary 27,777 seedlings are required. In addition, it is
advisable to multiply additionally 15 percent of the total
number seedling is required as an extra for the purpose
of replacement of dried out and weak seedlings. Thus, a
total of 31,943 pots needed to be prepared for one
hectar. The prepared pots need to be placed properly on
seed beds.The top of all the pots placed on each bed
have to be uniformly leveled as much as possible.
Otherwise, there will be a competition for light among
seedlings.
In addition, it will be difficult to water seedlings
uniformly. As a result seedlings will not grow straightly
and uniformly. Cover the pots with grass to prevent the
emergence of weeds on the pots up to the time of
planting.

Planting material preparation: Even though

rosemary can be propagated by means of seeds and
layering; the best way of propagation is through the use
of nursery raised cuttings. The mother plants for cutting
preparation should be free from diseases, well
performing and should be at the right stage of
development. The branches used for cutting preparation
should be at least 9 months old, but not one year old.
Cuttings should be obtained from young actively
growing branches.

Do not use flowering, old woody and very young Plants

for cutting. If cuttings are prepared from such kind of
branches, the probability of seedling drying out is very
high even the survived seedlings will not perform well
after transplanting in the field.
After proper selection of mother rosemary plants,
prepare cuttings by measuring 10-15cm from the top
part of the branches. Cut carefully using a sharp knife or
scissor prepared for this purpose, in order to avoid the
risk of stem splitting and removal of barks. If the
cuttings are not made carefully, they will easily dry out
and prone to disease infection.

9
Water the prepared pots before planting the cuttings,
Prepare a whole having a depth of 5-7 cm in the middle
of each pot, plant the cutting in the whole after
removing leaves from lower parts of the cutting. To
ensure seedling establishment, firmly cover the lower
part of the cutting with soil to keep the cuttings intact,
so that the cuttings can escape from dry out because of
the wind and excessive air circulation in the root zone.

Seedling Management: careful watering,

weeding and hoeing practices are required to ensure
seedling establishment and vigorous growth. Watering is
required, just after planting the cuttings. It is advisable
to use standard watering cans that have fine holes to
distribute water lightly and uniformly. Otherwise, the
water will erode the soil in the pots and expose the roots
of seedling from damage. Thus, if fine holed watering
cans are not available, as an alternative use your hand to
spray the water lightly on the seedlings without
disturbing the soil in the pots.

Depending on the climate conditions of the area

watering should be done once or two times per day. The
pot should be kept moist always; excess water
application can cause diseases, infection and insufficient
water application restricts seedling growth. Thus, the
amount of water application should not be excessive or
very less. Weeding operation has to be done as required.
To loosen the pot soil for root aeration and expansion,
hoeing has to be done 45 days after planting using
sharply pointed sticks; Take maximum care not to
damage the roots of the seedlings while hoeing.

Disease and pest management: the

occurrence of diseases and pests under nursery
conditions is not usual. However, due to changes in
climatic conditions, a sudden outbreak of disease and
pest may occur. Therefore, it’s important to inspect the
nursery regularly. During inspection, if a white dust like
symptoms observed on leaves take the following
measures; to reduce the amount of water applied,
minimize or totally remove the shedding materials from
the nursery beds, during watering, shower the seedlings
from their top washed out the pathogens on the leaves,
so that the spread of the disease can be reduced. If the
spread of the diseases continues after taking all these
measures, immediately consult extension workers in the
vicinity for suggestion on control measures.

11
Hardening seedlings፡ in order to avoid seedling
death due to transplanting shock; it is important to
harden seedlings so that the seedlings are capable to
tolerate stressful field conditions as compared to nursery
beds. Hardening operation should start two to three
weeks before transplanting. Hardening operation
includes removal of some amount of shedding materials
from nursery beds followed by the removal of the
remaining shading materials entirely. The amount of
water applied should also be reduced gradually.
Hardening seedlings is a critical process to ensure a high
rate of establishment and vigorous growth after field
transplanting. If seedling hardening is not done, the
seedlings will easily die, prone to diseases and pests, do
not grow well and ultimately cause adverse affect on the
final yield.
 3. Field Management Operations

3.1 Land preparation

The field for rosemary cultivation shall be located
within altitude range from 1500 up to 3000 meters
above sea level, in a place where irrigation water is
accessible, free from the interference of shading trees so
that the plants can get full sun, having fertile, not water
logging soil within a pH range of 5.5 to 8.0. A field that
full fills these criteria, is ideal for high productivity and
quality of rosemary. Cultivate the soil very well two to
three times. Prepare ridges at the spacing of 60cm, the
rigged shall be 30 cm higher in order to irrigate safely
without affecting the roots of rosemary plants.

Prepare furrows Perpendicular to the gradient to

minimize the risk of soil erosion by irrigation water and
flood. If necessary, prepare block convenient for
irrigation.

3.2 Transplanting
Rosemary seedlings get ready for transplanting three to
four months after planting. Transplanting can be done
three to four months after cuttings are planted in the
nursery. For the good plant establishment it is advisable

13
to transplant seedlings early in the morning or late in the
afternoon to reduce the amount of water loss from
seedlings. During transplanting prepare a hole that is
about 15 cm deep and 15cm wide by keeping 60cm
spacing. Put seedling pots near to the holes; cut the
polyethylene plastic pots vertically with any sharp
cutting tool. Put the seedling immediately into a hole.
Take care not to detach the soil surrounding the seedling
root while transplanting. Cover the seedling hole with
top soil gently; do not over press the soil while covering
the roots since rosemary roots are sensitive to soil
compaction. If the soil moisture is low irrigate the field
immediately after transplanting.

3.3 Watering
Irrigation at time of transplanting is essential until the
plants are well established. Rosemary can be grown in
rain fed conditions if rainfall is exceeds 500 mm per
year. Under rain fed condition transplanting should be
done at the onset of rainy season. Once the plant is well
established on the field, it can cope with dry conditions.
Whereas, under Irrigated condition; for the first three
weeks after transplanting watering should be done once
in every three days or at least once per week depending
on the availability of water. Then the frequency of
irrigation can be reduced to once per week or two weeks
depending on the availability of water. Care should be
taken not to over irrigate since the plant cannot tolerate
water logging condition.

3.4 Hoeing and weeding

From 15 days to one month after transplanting one
hoeing and weeding is important, continue the hoeing
and weeding practice till three months after
transplanting. After three months weeding may not be
necessary for plants can withstand the effect of weeds as
the rosemary plants’ growth, progress the inter and intra
row spaces will be covered and that will restrict weed
growth. However, careful monitoring of weeds is
important because some strange and harmful weeds may
occur in the field and affect the rosemary plants growth.
If the necessary hoeing and weeding operations are
made approperiately good rosemary plants stand can be
obtained.

During hoeing care should be taken not to damage the

roots as rosemary roots are very sensitive to damage that
will lead to drying of branches or the whole plant; if the
number of dried plants is higher, that can significantly
reduce the yield.

15
3.5 Fertilizer application
Rosemary doesn’t require much fertilizer application. A
study on the application of fertilizer under Ethiopia
conditions is going on; Meanwhile, the experiences of
other countries indicate that depending on the soil
conditions up to 100kg nitrogen per year promote rapid
growth of rosemary. However, the quality of the
essential oil can be affected by application of excess
inorganic fertilizer. In order to avoid the risk of quality
losses they tend either to cultivate without fertilizer
application or apply organic fertilizer after harvesting.
Hence, application of organic fertilizers like compost or
manure is preferable rather than using inorganic
fertilizers.

3.6 Disease and pests of rosemary

Proper field management is essential to prevent the
occurrence of diseases and pests.These includes; weed
control, taking care not to retain excessive moisture in
the field. Overgrown branches hamper air circulation by
reducing the space between plants and creat a suitable
environment for diseases and pest occurrence. Thus,
regularly cut overgrown branches to make sure that
there is enough space between plants for air circulation.
Disease and pests can occur and attack rosemary plants
at any stage of development. Hence, regular and careful
monitoring of rosemary field for signs and symptoms of
disease and pest occurrence and careful assessment of
the damage level is crucial. Remove diseased branches
immediately to minimize the risk of spread. In case of
severe infestation take the necessary control measures
immediately in consultaion with crop protection experts.
Most common disease of rosemary is powdery mildew.
Whereas, mealy bugs and cushion scale insect are
known to be common pests of rosemary.

3.7 Diseases, symptoms and control

measures
Fusarium wilt: symptoms of Fusarium wilt are
dependent on several factors, including the amount of
inoculum in the soil, environmental conditions, nutrients
(particularly nitrogen), and susceptibility of the host.
Wilting is followed by a yellowing of the leaves and
finally necrosis. The wilting generally starts with the
older leaves and progresses to the younger
foliage. Initial symptoms often occur as the plant is
beginning to vine and wilting may occur in one runner
on a plant may wilt and collapse, with the rest of the
runners remaining healthy. Crop rotation is generally
not totally effective because chlamydospores survive so

17
long in the soil and the pathogen can survive in or on the
roots of symptomless carrier plants. Soil fumigation
with a broad-spectrum biocide provides good initial
control; Exclusion of the pathogen is one of the best
means of disease control. Use disease-free planting
material and disease resistance Varity.

Powdery mildew: the symptom of the diseases is

an appearance of ash like white powders spread on the
leaves. The disease occurs when soil moisture is
excessive, air circulation is poor, humidity is high and
shady conditions exist. If the diseases occur, cut
overgrown branches to ensure better air circulations,
allow the soil to dry out between watering sessions and
minimize the amount of water application.

Root Rot: the symptoms of the diseases are wilting of

leaves followed by dieing of the whole plant and rotting
of the roots. The disease can occur due to excessive
moisture in the rosemary field as a result of poor
drainage of soil having a high clay content, excessive
application of fertilizers can also be a cause. If the
diseases occur, minimizing the amount of irrigation, not
applying fertilizers, discarding all affected herbs,
including the surrounding soil can be helpful minimize
the spread and the damage that can be caused by the
disease.

19
4. Harvesting and Post Harvest Handling

4.1 Harvesting times

The harvesting time of rosemary can vary depending on
the soil fertility, geographical area and weather
conditions. The purpose of harvest also determines the
age of harvesting. According to research finding in
Wondo Genet Research Center; if the plant material is
required for fresh herb harvesting at young stage when
it becomes six months old after transplanting, Where as
for essential oil production harvesting starting from
nine months after transplanting can give good results.
Rosemary plants can give good yield for 4-7 years,
depending upon the regular proper management of the
plants.

4.2 Cares during harvesting time

Harvest rosemary using a well sharpens cutting tool by
taking maximum care not to disturb the roots of
rosemary. Harvest rosemary branches about 15 cm
above the ground by leaving growing point (nodes)
below the cutting point. Improper harvesting will lead to
death of plants.
4.3 Preparation of fresh rosemary leaves
For the purpose of fresh market, the leaves should be
clean of foreign material and having fresh appearance,
good color and flavor. To avoid excess moisture losses
that will affect the quality and shelf-life of herbs,
harvest fresh rosemary early in the morning then deliver
to the market immediately or keep it in a cooler place or
if possible in the refrigerator at 5 °C till it is delivered to
the market. If refrigeration is not possible, placing
bottom part of the harvested branches in a vase that
contains salted water will prolong the shelf life of
rosemary leaves for a few days.

4.4 Leaf drying

After proper harvesting; proper drying of rosemary
leaves can be done before or after detaching the leaves
from the harvested branches. If the leaves get mixed
with foreign materials during the process of drying; the
quality of the final product will be affected highly, that
will either lower the market price of the product or the
product can totally loss acceptability in the market.

While drying, using trays like mesh wire is important to

allow sufficient air circulation.

The drying process has to be done with a great care. The

use of sun-drying method can result in poor quality.

21
Modern artificial drying methods allow obtaining a
better quality product. Rosemary should be dried at a
temperature lower than 40 °C to reduce loss of flavor
through voletalization of essential oil and to maintain a
good green color. After drying, the dried product should
be processed to remove the leaves from the stems and
then sieved to remove dirt, graded depending on its size
and quality to produce a uniform product. The final
product will be delivered to market after packaging
using cartoon or plastic bags.

4.5 Extraction and proper storage of

rosemary essential oil
Essential oils are volatile oils extracted from essential
oil bearing plants by the process of steam based
distillation. At the time of essential oil extraction bear in
mind the following issues

 Make sure that you have added rosemary leaves

that are kept clean and free from any other foreign
materials in the extraction thank; otherwise; the
quality of the oil will drop down.
 On the distillation instrument, the pipes used for
boiling, steam transportation and condensation
should be made from stainless still or copper.
  Make sure that the steam that carries the essential
oil never leak out of the distillation instrument due
to technical defects.

The extracted essential oil should be placed in cool and

dry place, preferably in a small colored glass bottle.
Every time after using the essential oil close back the
cap of the container tightly; if it is possible, it is
advisable to keep the essential oil in the refrigerator.
The essential oil of rosemary can stay in good quality
for a period of six months up to two years depending on
the storage condition.

4.6 Quality standards

The standard set by the International Standard
Organization (ISO) know by its identification number
(ISO 11164:1995), states the quality requirements for
dried rosemary. According to the ISO standard the
dried leaves of rosemary should contain a minimum of
1.2 % volatile oil, maximum of 10 % foreign matter,
maximum of 2 % woody stems, and a maximum of 7 %
ash.

23
 5. Marketing Aspect of Rosemary

The price of rosemary either as fresh and dry herb or

essential oil forms depends on various factors that
include the quality of the product, the cost of
production, and the balance between supply and
demand. In the local markets of Ethiopia, the fresh
leaves of rosemary are sold with a price of up to 50
Birr/kg. Whereas, the dried leaves are sold about 45
Birr/kg. With regard to the international market, the up
to date prices of rosemary oils from various origins can
be found on giant online marking sites. Internationally,
India, China and mediterranean countries like Spain,
Turkey, etc. are major producers of rosemary; whereas
America, Japan and European countries reported to be
major importers of rosemary. Both the leaves and
essential oils of rosemary are greatly demanded
worldwide. In order to benefit from this huge potential
market; Ethiopian producers are expected to supply
rosemary with good quality and competitive price using
modern internet based marketing and advertising tools.

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