Effects of density and cultivation method on ratio and yield of essential oil in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Abstract Basil (Ocimum basilicum) belongs to the Lamiaceae. It is mostly used for nutrition in Iran, while it also has numerous pharmaceutical properties. The plant has some aromatic compounds. In order to investigate effects of density and cultivation method on the amount of extractable essential oil, an experiment was done on green and purple cultivars in a farm with area around 200m2. Two methods of cultivation were experimented: cultivation in one row and in two rows. Two types of densities were experimented: 40, 60, 80, 100 plants per m2 based on factorial design experiment in completely randomized blocks. Significant differences between means values were determined using multivariate Duncan test at 5% by MSTATC software. Correlation coefficients were calculated by SPSS software. Data analysis of variance showed that the cultivar has significant influence on the percentage amount of essential oil and the cultivation method impacts the yield of essential oil. Plant density has significant influence on the percentage and yield of essential oil. Results showed that the highest percentage and yield of essential oil was obtained in the cultivation of purple basil in two rows with a density of 40 plants per m2.