Manipulation of Plant Growth, Development and the Composition of Essential Oils in Ocimum sanctum L. (Holy Basil) Using Exogenous Regulators of Plant Growth

The influence of exogenous regulators of plant growth and development on biomass yield, composition and amount of essential oils in holy basil, Ocimum sanctum L., was investigated. Four exogenously applied plant growth regulators namely Melatran, Humiforte N6, Aminoforte, and Kadostim were used in this 3-year research by spraying them on the leaves of plants grown on a permanent experimental site. Results of the 3-year research confirm that all the exogenous regulators of plant growth used in this research supported plant growth and development. Further, all of these growth regulators especially the combinations of the growth regulators in treatments AH and AHK increased plant biomass fresh yield. In general, the growth regulators also triggered the early emergence of the flowering phase except for treatment 4 (AHK) which contained kadostim. The plants treated with the regulators, i.e., plants in treatments Mel, AH, and AHK, gave lower average number of branches in comparison to the control. The treatment Mel had plants with the least average number of branches, confirming that melatran has an inhibitory effect on branching. All of the exogenous regulators particularly the combination used in treatment 3 (AH) supported increase in yield of essential oils in the leaf and seed of Ocimum sanctum L.