Effect of organic and biofertilizers on growth, oil yield and chemical composition of the essential oil of Ocimum basillicum L. plants

Abstract EN

This work was carried out during two successive seasons of 2012 and 2013 at Agric.

Research Station, Alex.

Univ.

Egypt, to investigate the effect of different rates of organic fertilizers (cattle manure(CM) 0, 40, 60 and 80 m3/fed.) and four concentrations of biofertilizer (active dry yeast (ADY) 0.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 g/l) on the vegetative growth, oil yield, and the chemical composition of essential oil of Ocimum basilicum L.

The experimental design was a split-plot in three replicates.

Each replicate contained 16 treatments (4CM × 4Bio.

Fer.), the main plot represented the organic fertilizer (CM) treatments while, the sub-plot was the biofertilizer concentration (ADY).

The obtained results can be summarized as follows; using the different rates of organic manure separately or in combination with the different concentrations of biofertilizer (ADY) stimulated the vegetative growth and oil yield compared, to the control.

The highest values of vegetative growth (plant height, number of branches, leaves numbers, leaf area and leaves dry weight), total chlorophyll content and oil percentage were obtained by adding CM at 80 m3/fed.

combined with 6.0 g/l biofertilizer (ADY).

Moreover.

The highest significant increases in the main chemical components of leaves essential oil (estragole, eucalyptol, linalool, and trans-4-methoxycinnamaldehyde) were obtained by using organic fertilizer (CM) at 60 m3/fed.

combined with 2.0 and/or 4.0 g/l of biofertilizer (ADY).