Fresh Herbage and Essential Oil Yield of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) as Affected by Mineral Fertilizers

Abstract

Nitrogen and Phosphorous were believed to be important nutrient for the production of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) with desirable essential oil yield, essential oil content and acceptable herbage yields. The experiment was carried out for three (2018-2020) consecutive seasons, at Wondo gent agricultural research center. This study was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer on essential oil yield, essential oil content, and herbage yields of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). The treatments were using N (0, 23, 46, and 69 kg ha-1) and P (0, 10, 20, and 30 kg ha-1) in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) a factorial with three replications. The results indicated that the maximum essential oil yield (202.7 kg ha-1), essential oil content (0.53%), and herbage yields (47.0 tone ha-1) were obtained from application of 69 kg ha-1 of N and 20 kg ha-1 P fertilizers. However, the minimum essential oil yield, essential oil content, and herbage yields were obtained from unfertilized plot. Therefore, the application of 69 kg ha-1 of nitrogen and 20 kg ha-1 phosphorous fertilizers was suggested in Wondo gent, Ethiopia to obtain the ideal fresh herbage yields and essential oil yield of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.).