ISHS Acta Horticulturae 426: International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
EFFECT OF ANION VARIATIONS IN A NUTRIENT SOLUTION ON BASIL GROWTH, ESSENTIAL OIL CONTENT, AND COMPOSITION |
| Authors: | T. Takano, A. Yamamoto |
| Abstract:
The object of this study is to determine which anions increase the essential oil production in basil plant, Ocimum basilicum L. Plants were grown in containers for hydroponic culture in a glass-house. In the first experiment, dominant anion, such as NO3-, H2PO4, and SO42-, was kept at the level of 60% of total anion concentration in the nutrient solution of each treatment and the others were kept at 20%. In the second experiment of inverse variations, two anions were taken at the level of 40% and the other was kept at the level of 20% as a recessive anion concentration. Weight growth and essential oil yield of individual plant in the dominant NO3- -plot were the greatest and those in the dominant H2PO4- -plot came second. Of the essential oils, linalool and 1,8-cineol were highly increased, although eugenol was the dominant essential oil. From these data, the optimum ratio of NO3-: H2PO4- SO42- in a nutrient solution was estimated as 47:32:21% of total anion concentration. In inverse variations, yield of essential oil per plant was high in the plots at the low level of phosphate or sulfate. The optimum ratio of NO3-:H2PO4-:SO4- in a nutrient solution for the higher yield of essential oils was calculated as 49:26:25% of total anion concentration. The relationships between essential oil content and percentage dry matter, or nutrient content were also discussed. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
