Two storage experiments were carried out at Mansoura Horticultural Research Station, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt, during of 2009 and 2010 seasons, to study the effect of natural treatments of plant extracts for prolonging life of Jerusalem artichoke fresh tubers during storage and to control common fungi diseases, i. e., clove (Syzygium aromaticum L. Merr & Perry.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) at different temperature.
Results of experiments can be summarized as follows:
Tubers treated with cumin or clove extracts and stored at 2 ºC or ambient temperature (average: 25/10 ºC day/night) suppressed the incidence of sprouting percentage, and decreased weight loss, decay percents, compared with the control (2 ºC). Tubers treated with!garlic extract and stored at 2 ºC slightly increase dry matter content. However, mncrease"of carbohydrates and inulin were found as a result of use garlic and cumin extract at ambient temperature.
Tuber rots caused by microorganisms during the growing season or during refrigerated or field storage were the most émportant diseases of Jerusalem artichokes in Egypt. Mucor sq., Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht, Fusarium solani Mart Sacc. Desm., Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, Rhizopus stolonifer Ehrenb ex Link and Sclerotium rolfesii Sacc. were!isolatud örom votted tissues and found to cause rots of Jerusalem tubers. In vitro antifungal acti~ity of íuthanol-water extracts of three medicinal plants, clove, garnic and cumin was investigatmd against Jerusalem tuber rots pathogenic fungi. In vitro antifungal agtivity test shïwed a high grïwth inhibition at concenôration (¸4 %) of each°qlant(extract.  The study6óuggmsts using plant extracts as natural treatments fïr(kogreasing storability and quality of Jerusalem artichoke fresh tubers and inhibition of fungi diseases.