2016, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Part A

author(s)
Hamed Mabudi Bilasvar, Saeid Zehtab Salmasi

abstract
An experiment on randomized complete block design with three replications were carried out to investigate the impact of different intercropping systems (sweet basil cultivars; Mobarake and Italian large leaf sole cropping (40 plants m-2) and the additive intercropping of sweet basil cultivars + corn (20 + 8, 30 + 8 and 40 + 8 plants m-2) on some sweet basil cultivars morphological traits and essential oil yield in 2014. Results showed that maximum plant height, number of leaf and lateral branch, plant dry weight and essential oil yield of both Mobarake and Italian large leaf were recorded under sole cropping pattern. With increasing density of sweet basil from 20 up to 40 plants m-2 in intercropping with corn, plant height, number of leaf and lateral branch in both Mobarake and Italian large leaf cultivars decreased. However, plant dry weight and essential oil yield slightly increased with increasing density of sweet basil from 20 up to 40 plants m-2. Although, corn intercropping with sweet basil cultivars had reducing effects on morphological characteristics and also essential oil yield of sweet basil plants, but in additive intercropping patterns as a drug forage system we can use these sweet basil cultivars.