Agro‐morphological and phenotypic variability of sweet basil genotypes for breeding purposes

Abstract

The genus Ocimum is very complicated due to the presence of huge morphological variability along with genetic diversity. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) has pharmacological properties to treat headaches, coughs, diarrhea, constipation, warts, worms, and kidney malfunction and potential as a therapeutic agent in treating various age‐related diseases. In this study, a total of 74 genotypes were used in 2017 and 61 genotypes were adapted. Among the 61 genotypes, 50 genotypes were sown in 2018. The present investigation composed of basil genotypes was undertaken to characterize the genotypes based on morphological and phenological features, herbs, and essential oil yield of genotypes. A wide range of variations for traits like days to first cutting (56.92–101.6 d), plant height (13.67–71.90 cm), branch number (3.28–19.43 plant−1), fresh herb yields (12.94–274.11 g plant−1), and essential oil yield (0.04–1.71%) were observed and can be useful for breeding purposes. PI 652070 and PI 296391 were found superior with the highest herbs yield as compared with other genotypes. Overall, PI 358469 and Ames 32309 genotypes exhibited the highest essential oil content. A constellation analysis was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity of basil genotypes. According to the constellation plot analysis, 46 basil genotypes and four cultivars were evaluated according to morphological, yield, and International Association for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV) properties, and most of the basil genotypes and one cultivar (Midnight) were located in the same group. As a result of the constellation plot analysis, Moonlight and Dino cultivars were located in the same group with PI 141198 (Maryland, USA) and genotypes originated from Georgia, Iran, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Hungary located in the same main group. Other genotypes of the same origin were found in a different main group.

Comprehensive Morphometric and Biochemical Characterization of Seven Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Genotypes: Focus on Light Use Efficiency

“…The morphometric assessment was conducted at the first harvest. In particular, the analyzed traits encompassed plant height (PH), the number of branches (PB), leaf lamina length and width (LL and LWI, respectively), and leaf blistering, which assigned scores for its absence (0) and presence (1). Leaf chromatic CIEL*a*b* parameters were registered using a colorimeter (Chroma meter CR-200, MINOLTA, Osaka, Japan).…”

“…The Ocimum genus includes more than 150 species globally; however, the most commercially significant cultivars are found within the O. basilicum L. species. In particular, sweet basil (O. basilicum, x = n = 12) stands out as a vital essential oil crop in the Labiatae family, finding numerous applications [1]. Its distinct aroma and flavor, coupled with its rich history, have made it a cherished herb in various culinary traditions around the world [2,3].…”

Determination of seed yield, quality and fixed oil components of different basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) genotypes: Evaluation of fatty acid profile by PCA biplot analysis

“…Also, F1 and F2 explained the variation at the rate of 79.06 (Table 5 and Figure 1). Correlation analysis methods were used to select the influential features to indirect selection of best genotypes (Yaldiz & Camlica, 2020). In this context, principle components analysis (PCA) is a suitable multivariate technique to determine the genotypes.…”

Productive, Morpho-Physiological, and Postharvest Performance of Six Basil Types Grown in a Floating Raft System: A Comparative Study

“…Currently, they are the undisputed stars of popular recipes in traditional cuisine and gourmet preparations, as well as in industrial derivative products such as dietary supplements, perfumes and soaps, cosmetics, and medicines [ 4 ]. The different uses to which these plants lend themselves result from inherent genetic variability; not surprisingly, the genus Ocimum L. includes more than 150 species [ 5 ]. The different species, in addition to diversifying in morphological characteristics (color and shape of leaves and flowers, etc.…”