2016, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Part B

author(s)
Eirini Sarrou, Paschalina Chatzopoulou, Theodoros Koutsos V, Stavros Katsiotis

abstract
Field experiment wasrnconducted in order to evaluate the effect of synthetic and organic mulching onrnweed control, biomass production and essential oil yield of sweet basil (Ocinumrnbasilicum L.). Moreover, the effect of fertilizers containing differentrnforms of nitrogen on sweet basil essential oils and herbage yield was alsornexamined. The applied fertilization (one inorganic and four organic), affectedrnsignificantly the herbage yield compared to the control. Namely, the treatmentsrnof organic Agrobiosol (O-A) and Neem-cake (O-NK) increased the herbage yield byrn33 and 47.75%, respectively. The essential oil content ranged betweenrn1.06-1.27% and 0.88-1.36% under mulching and fertilizing treatments,rnrespectively, with main constituents: linalool, 1.8 cineol, 4 terpineol, α-bergamotene and t-cadinene. Moreover significant quantitativerndifferences in basil volatile constituents were observed under the influence ofrndifferent types of fertilizers. The components 1, 8 cineol, α-bergamotene and t-cadinol were mostly affected by organicrnfertilization (O-L).