Improving Herb and Volatile Oil Yield, As Well as Salt Resistance Index of Sweet Basil Plants (Ocimum Basilicum, L.) Grown Under Saline Water Stress by Spraying with Nano-Micronutrient

Abstract

A pot experiment was carried out at net greenhouse at Horticulture Department roof, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt, during the two consecutive seasons of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 to study the effect of different saline water irrigation levels (0.0, 1000, 2000 and 3000 ppm), different nano-micronutrients (Nm) rates as (0.0, 250 and 500 ppm) and their combinations on herb yield as well as volatile oil production of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum  L.) plant. 25 cm diameter plastic pots filled with 5 kg clay soil were used in this experiment. The current study was set up in a split-plot design with three replicates. The main plots were occupied by saline water irrigation levels and the sub plots were entitled to SE concentrations. The results showed a significant decrease in most studied yield parameters (fresh and dry herb yield per plant), salt resistance index and volatile oil production (volatile oil percentage and volatile oil yield /plant) with increasing the levels of salinity, but an opposite impact occurred with increasing the SE concentrations. However, for the combination among the levels of saline water and 500 ppm nano-micronutrient, the combination treatment (1000 ppm salinity level + 500 ppm Nm) showed the highest increment in the herb yield and volatile oil production of sweet basil plant under Sharkia Governorate conditions. Conclusion: It is preferable to spray Ocimum basilicum plants with nano-micronutrients at 500 ppm under the saline water irrigation conditions to enhance the basil herb yield, volatile oil production, as well as salt resistance index under Sharkia Governorate conditions.