The genus Ocimum belonging to the family

Lamiacceae is an extremely versatile group

consisting 65 recognized species. It has several

chemotypes i.e. morphologically indistinguishable plants

of the same Ocimum species differing in their chemical

constituents. O. basilicum (2n = 48) is an herbaceous

annual popularly known as Indian or sweet basil. It occurs

all over India. The plants, on steam distillation, yield light

yellow colour essential oil, possessing a pleasant odour

characteristic of the plant, with an appreciable note of

anise. The essential oil has methyl chavicol and linalool

as major constituents and terpenes as minor constituents.

The essential oils of cultivar CM-Saumya and Vikarsudha

containing the content of methyl chavicol 62.5 % and

78.7%, respectively were reported (Dwivedi et al., 1999).

Methyl chavicol, an isomer of anethole, is an aroma isolate

with reminiscent of anise like odour. It is used extensively

in cosmetic products and in flavouring of mouth

fresheners, dental preparations, etc. Indian basil is an

important low cost source of this aroma isolate. Current

Indian production of O. basilicum essential oil containing

methyl chavicol as principal constituent is about 350t

(Lawrence, 1992). A bulk of this quantity is used for

production of anethole, which is in large demand. To

meet the short fall in demand of anethole, India imports

anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) essential oil on a regular

basis. India import of anise oil was 165t amounting Rs.10.5

crores during 2002-03. Methyl eugenol is a high value

aroma chemical used in cosmetic products and men’s

colognes. It is also used as a flavouring agent in jellies,

baked foods, non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gum,

candy, pudding, relish and ice cream (Maheswari, 1995).

As a flavouring agent it has spicy, ginger like undertones

and its odour is musty- tea like warm and mildly spicy.

The cultivation of O.basilicum is being gaining importance

among the farmers as many essential oil extraction units

were established in Southern parts of Tamil Nadu.

Presently the herbage is being collected from the forest

and used for distillation by the industries. The growers

are using the locally available genotypes for cultivation.

The local types are poor in herbage and essential oil yield.

Hence, an attempt is initiated for identifying a genotype

for higher herbage and essential oil which will be very

much useful for commercial cultivation

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The experiment was conducted at Department of

Horticulture, Agricultural College and Research Institute,

Madurai, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Tamil Nadu

•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•

ABSTRACTAn field experiments were conducted at Department of Horticulture, Agricultural College and

Research Institute, Madurai during January 2007 and January 2008 with eighteen genotypes to

identity higher herbage and essential oil yielding genotypes. The results of the experiment

reveals that among 18 genotypes, genotype No EC338776 recorded highest value for plant

height (109.67cm and 110cm), primary branches (52 and58 nos/plant), total number of branches

(190 and 209 nos/plant), number of leaves (939 and 998 nos/plant), leaf area index (19.85, 22.35),

leaf weight (483 and 425g/plant), soft stem weight (415 and 425g/plant), total fresh herbage yield

(898 and 850g/plant). The essential oil content was higher in the genotypes EC 336833 and EC

112548 (0.70 and 0.6 per cent) whereas the essential oil yields per plant (5.39 and 4.25 ml) and per

hectare (399 l and 267 l) was higher in EC338776. It was found that, the genotype EC338776 was

best suited compared with other genotypes.

Evaluation of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) genotypesV. KRISHNAMOORTHY

Correspondence to :

V. KRISHNAMOORTHY

Krishi Vigyan Kendra,

(Tamil Nadu Agricultural

University), Vamban,

PUDUKKOTTAI (T.N.)

INDIA

Key words : Sweet basil, Genotypes, Herbage yield and Essential oil

Krishnamoorthy, V. (2010). Evaluation of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) genotypes, Asian J. Hort., 5 (2) : 411-415.

The Asian Journal of Horticulture; Vol. 5 No. 2; (December, 2010) : 411-415

Received : June, 2010; Accepted : November, 2010

Research Paper

•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•

412

[Asian J. Hort., Vol. 5 (2); Dec., 2010]

during January 2007 and 2008. Totally 18 genotypes viz.,

EC 112548, EC 174527, EC 312264, EC 336833, EC

338776, EC 338782, EC 338785, EC 338794, EC 388887,

EC 388891, EC 388893, EC 388995, IC 110267, IC

326735, IC 333322, IC 338959, IC 344631, IC 381552,

were obtained from National bureau of plant genetics

resource, ICAR, New Delhi. All the genotypes were

evaluated for their herbage yield and essential oil yield in

two consecutive years during January 2007 and January

2008 in a randomized block design with three replications.

The plot size was 7.5m2. The seeds were sown on raised

beds. The beds of one meter width 15cm height were

prepared by applying organic manures at rate 10kg per

square meter. Small furrows were formed on the beds at

an interval of 10cm. The seeds were water soaked for

one hour before sowing and mixed with sand sown in the

furrows at 2.5cm spacing. The seedlings of 35days age

were uprooted and planted in the main field. The ridges

formed at 45cm spacing and the seedlings were planted

at 30cm spacing. The observations were recorded on ten

randomly selected plants per entry in each replication.

The parameters such as plant height, number of branches

per plant, number of leaves, leaf area index, herbage yield

per plant, essential oil content in leaves and essential oil

yield were recorded. The essential oil content in the

herbage was estimated by hydro distilla tion

(Clevenger,1928). The growth and yield parameters were

statically analyzed.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The eighteen genotypes were evaluated for two

consecutive Rabi seasons during 2007 and 2008, the

growth and yield parameters recorded are given in the

Table 1 and 2 and their results are discussed below :

Season I:

The variability in respect to plant height (Table 1)

among the genotypes evaluated was wide. EC 338776,

EC 338782, EC 388891 genotypes recorded significantly

highest plant height over other genotypes whereas

EC112548 and IC326735 recorded shortest plant height.

The maximum number of primary, secondary branches

significantly was recorded in IC338959, IC326735 and

EC388995, EC174527 recorded the lowest number of

primary and secondary branches. Whereas EC338776,

EC338782, EC388891 registered highest number of

tertiary and total branches. The highest total leaf numbers

of 939,922, 903 and leaf area index of 19.85, 19.34, 18.80

was registered in EC338776, EC388891, EC338782,

respectively and IC 326735, EC 112548 recorded lowest

values (190, 285 and 10.09, 13.13, respectively). The yield

V. KRISHNAMOORTHY

was measured interms of individual plant leaf weight and

soft portion of the stem and the total herbage yield was

arrived by adding both. EC338776, EC388891 and

EC338782 recorded the maximum leaf weight (483, 372,

371g/plant, respectively), soft stem weight (415, 342, 328

g/plant, respectively), total herbage weight (878, 714, 699g/

plant, respectively) and total herbage yield (66.45, 52.84,

51.73 tone/ha, respectively) whereas EC388995,

IC110267, IC326735, EC112548 genotypes registered

lowest leaf weight (276, 278, 280, 285g/plant, respectively),

soft stem weight (211, 222, 230, 235g/plant), total herbage

weight (878, 714, 699g/plant, respectively) and total

herbage yield (66.45, 52.84, 51.73 tone/ha, respectively).

The secondary metabolite essential oil is more important

as this crop mainly cultivated for extraction of essential

oil. Among the eighteen genotypes evaluated EC 336833

and EC 112548 registered maximum essential oil content

of 0.70 per cent in the leaves. The essential oil yield from

a plant and from a hectare of land was highest with the

genotypes EC338776 (5.39 ml, 399L, respectively),

EC388891 (5.0ml, 370 l, respectively) and EC338782

(4.19ml, 310 l, respectively) and it was lowest in the

genotypes IC 110267 (2.55ml/plant, 189l/ha, respectively

and IC 326735 (3.00ml/plant, 222l/ha, respectively).

Similar results were reported in many earlier studies

(Fleisher,1981).

Season II:

The plant height varied significantly (Table 2) among

the 18 genotypes evaluated. Significantly highest plant

height was observed in the genotypes EC338776 (110cm),

EC388891(108cm), EC338782 (100cm), over other

genotypes whereas EC112548 and IC326735 recorded

shortest plant height. The maximum number of primary,

secondary and tertiary was branches significantly

recorded in EC338776 (58, 151 and 209 nos, respectively),

EC388891 (27,167 and 194 nos/plant, respectively),

EC338782 (25, 166 and 191 nos/plant, respectively), and

the genotypes EC174527, EC388995 recorded the lowest

number of primary (8 Nos/plant), the genotypes

EC326735 registered lowest tertiary branches (30nos/

plant) and the genotype EC112548 registered lowest total

number of branches (90nos/plant), it showed the variability

among the genotypes. The highest total leaf numbers of

998,970, 950 and leaf area index of 22.35, 21.84, 21.30

was registered in EC338776, EC388891, EC338782,

respectively and the genotypes EC112548, IC326735

recorded lowest values (190, 285nos/plant and 10.09,

13.13, respectively). The yield was measured interms of

individual plant leaf weight and soft portion of the stem

and the total herbage yield was arrived by adding both.

413

[Asian J. Hort., Vol. 5 (2); Dec., 2010] •HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•

EVALUATION OF SWEET BASIL GENOTYPES

•HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•

414

[Asian J. Hort., Vol. 5 (2); Dec., 2010]

V. KRISHNAMOORTHY

415

[Asian J. Hort., Vol. 5 (2); Dec., 2010] •HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE•

EC338776, EC388891 and EC338782 recorded the

maximum leaf weight (425, 375, 375g/plant, respectively),

soft stem weight (425, 376, 325g/plant, respectively), total

herbage weight (850, 751, 700g/plant, respectively) and

total herbage yield (62.90, 55.57, 51.80 tone/ha,

respectively) whereas EC112548, IC326735, IC110267,

EC388995 genotypes registered lowest leaf weight (276,

278, 280, 282g/plant, respectively), soft stem weight (247,

275, 275, 275g/plant, respectively), total herbage weight

(523, 553, 555g/plant, respectively) and total herbage yield

(38.70, 40.92, 41.07, 41.22tone/ha, respectively). The

secondary metabolite essential oil is more important as

this crop mainly cultivated for extraction of essential oil.

Among the eighteen genotypes evaluated EC 336833 and

EC 112548 registered maximum essential oil content of

0.60 per cent in the leaves. The essential oil yield from a

plant and from a hectare of land was highest with the

genotypes EC338776 (5.39 ml, 399l, respectively),

EC388891 (5.0ml, 370 l, respectively) and EC338782

(4.19ml, 310 l, respectively) and it was lowest in the

genotypes IC 110267 (2.55ml/plant, 189l/ha, respectively

and IC 326735 (3.00ml/plant, 222 l/ha, respectively).

Numerous studies on variation in these parameters have

been reported (Dwvedi et al., 1999 and 2000).

Acknowledgement:

The author expresses his sincere thanks to the

Director, National Bureau of Plant Genetics Resource,

ICAR, New Delhi

REFERENCES

Clevenger, J.P. (1928). Content of essential oil in plants.

American Perfumer, 23:467

Dwivedi, S., Mishra, P.N., Singh, A.P., Naqvi, A.A., Singh,

A.P., Kumar, S. (1999). Registration of a new variety Virkishuda

of Ocimum basilicum. Sci., 21: 373 -374

Dwivedi, S., Mishra, P.N., Singh, A.P., Kothari, S.K., Naqvi,

A.A., Kumar, S. (2000). Cultivation of sweet basil Ocimum

basilicum in India. CIMAP Farm Bulletin, 16:14.

Fleisher, A. (1981). Essential oils from two varieties of comum

basilicum grown in Israel. J. Sci. Food agric., 32: 1119-1122

Lawrence, B.M. (1992). Progress in essential oil of basil oil.

Perfumer Flavorist, 17:47-50

Maheswari, M.L. (1995). Quality and chemistry of essential oils.

In: Advances in horticulture Vol.II. Medicinal and aromatic

plants (Eds. KL Chadha and Rajendra Gupta) Malhotra

Publishing House, New Delhi, India pp.145 -197.

***********

EVALUATION OF SWEET BASIL GENOTYPES