Open AccessGrowth, Yield and Plant Quality of Sweet Basil (Ocimum Basilicum L.) as Affected by Nitrogen and Potassium Doses Under Neutral and Acidic Soil Condition
Author(s) -
Princess Verglle A. Escultor,
Anabella B. Tulin
Publication year - 2020
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0119-4909
DOI - 10.47773/shj.1998.141.2
Subject(s) - basilicum , ocimum , potassium , sweet basil , chemistry , nitrogen , yield (engineering) , horticulture , zoology , biology , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy
Considering the great significance of basil for food and medicinal purposes, it is important to study the proper culture and management of sweet basil. A pot experiment was done to: (a) evaluate the effects of increasing doses of nitrogen and potassium application on the growth, yield, and plant quality of sweet basil; (b) determine the optimum rate of nitrogen and potassium combination for sweet basil and (c) assess the effects of different levels of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers on the chemical properties of acidic and neutral soil. There were eight treatments consisting of different levels of N and K O added into neutral and acidic soil. These 2 treatments were the following: T – Control (No fertilizer), T - 60-60-60 kg/ha N-P O - 1 2 2 5 K O (RR), T – 0- 60- 60 kg/ha N-P O - K O, T – 120-60-60 kg/ha N-P O - K O, T – 180- 2 3 2 5 2 4 2 5 2 5 60-6/h0 kg/ha N-P O - K O, T – 60-60-0 kg/ha N-P O - K O, T – 60-60-120 kg/ha N- 2 5 2 6 2 5 2 7 P O - K O, and T – 60-60-180 kg/ha N-P O - K O. 2 5 2 8 2 5 2 The results showed that the application of T (0-60-60 kg/ha N-P O -K O) has 3 2 5 2 increased plant height, number of primary branches, root length, fresh and dry weights of leaf, herbage yield, and root weight under neutral soil condition. Meanwhile, optimum application of N and K (60-60-60 kg/ha N-P O - K O) influenced 2 5 2 sweet basil's quality in terms of its chlorophyll content (Chlorophyll a and b). Moreover, increased chemical properties of neutral and acidic soil were significantly affected by application of T (180-60-60 kg/ha N-P O - K O), T (60-60- 5 2 5 2 7 120 kg/ha N-P O - K O), and T (60-60-180 kg/ha N-P O - K O). Most importantly, 2 5 2 8 2 5 2 application of T (0- 60- 60 kg/ha N-P O - K O), T (120-60-60 kg/ha N-P O - K O), T 3 2 5 2 4 2 5 2 6 (60-60-0 kg/ha N-P O - K O), and T (60-60-180 kg/ha N-P O - K O) has influenced % 2 5 2 8 2 5 2 N, P, and K concentrations in basil leaf significantly. The optimum combination of N and K that was highly favorable under both neutral and acidic condition was T (0-60- 3 60 kg/ha N-P O -K 0), indicating that sweet basil needs small amounts of N for its 2 5 2 growth and yield.