| Family |
Lamiaceae |
| English Name |
Basil, Common Basil, Lemon Basil, Sweet Basil |
| Malayalam Name |
Ramatulasi, Sabja, Thirunetrapacha |
| Tamil Name |
Thiruneertupachilai |
| Kannada Name |
Kamagaggare, Neeru Thulasi, Sabjaa Gida |
| Telugu Name |
Bhoo Tulasi, Komma Gaggiri, Sabja |
| Hindi Name |
Babui, Babul, Sabzah, Jangli-tulsi |
| Sanskrit Name |
Ajagandhika, Arjaka, Gandhapatra, Manjirika |
| Trade Name |
Basil, Common Basil, Lemon Basil, Sweet Basil |
| Part Used |
Roots, Leaves |
| In Wild |
NA |
| Under Cultivation |
NA |
| Temperature |
7- 27 °C |
| Rainfall |
700 mm |
| Farmers |
NA |
| Traders |
NA |
| Institution |
NA |
| Individually |
NA |
| State/Region |
NA |
| District |
NA |
| Nursery Information |
NA |
| Yield |
The average yield is 13-14 tonnes of fresh herbage and 3-4 tonnes of flowers can be obtained per ha. in two to three harvests , which, in turn, yields around 32 kg of oil in a year. |
| Economic of cultivation |
Cost of cultivation: ₹ 60,000 per hectare.
Market Price: Fresh herbage ₹ 30-40 per kg (as on June 2019). |
| Quantitative quality standards |
1. Foreign matter: Not more than 2 per cent
(w/w)
2. Ash: Not more than 8.0 per cent (w/w)
3. Acid-insoluble ash: Not more than 0.2 per
cent (w/w)
4. Ethanol-soluble extractive: Not less than
4.0 per cent (w/w)
5. Water-soluble extractive: Not less than 3.2
per cent (w/w) |
| Description |
Erect herbs to 60 cm tall; stems obtusely 4-angular. Leaves opposite 3.5-6 × 1.5-2.5 cm, ovate-elliptic, margins entire to distinctly crenate, pubescent with sessile oil glands beneath. Flowers in terminal racemes. Calyx purplish 6 mm long; corolla creamy coloured 7-10 mm long. Nutlets 4 per fruit, 2-3 × 1-1.5 mm, ellipsoid, black, mucilaginous when wet. |
| Agro technology/Cultivation practices |
Basil requires well-drained, fertile soils with a high organic matter content. It grows well in soils with a pH ranging from 4.3 to 8.2 and an optimum pH of 6.4. Basil requires warm temperate or Mediterranean conditions. It is best cultivated in tropical, subtropical, temperate regions. Optimum temperature for germination is 20 °C, with growing temperatures of 7 to 27 °C. The plant is susceptible to frost and cold temperatures and therefore develops best in long-day, full-sun conditions. Basil cannot tolerate drought stress as the plant tissue is very tender. Annual rainfall of 700 mm is the minimum for dry land cultivation.
Cultivation
1. Planting-stock production: Basil grows easily through seeds. Seed are
oblong, ranges from brown to black in colour and mean seed size 2.1 x
1.4 mm, pitted. Sow the seeds during mid to late spring in a greenhouse.
Seeds are placed in rows (10-15 cm row/-spacing). One hundred to five
hundred gm seed is required for one hectare. Germination starts 3 days
after sowing and finish in about 10 days. Lateral branching and growth
may be encouraged by topping when the plants are about 12 cm high.
Regular irrigation is necessary. The seedlings are ready for
transplanting after 4-6 weeks. At that stage they are 10-15 cm high with
4-6 pairs of leaves. For direct sowing generally 1-2 kg/ha of high
quality seeds are used.
2. Field Planting: Basil can be raised by direct sowing of seeds or
transplanted to the field from August to October. It is highly
susceptible to cold weather. The seedlings ready for planting are
removed from the nursery and protected from the sun and desiccation.
Transplanting is carried out manually or by using vegetable
transplanters. The recommended spacing for seedlings in warmer areas is
row spacing of 30-90 cm apart with plants spaced every 25-40 cm are
commonly used. Plant populations of 60,000 to 90,000 plants per hectare
are used by most commercial producers.
3. Manuring/fertilization: Based on plant/soil analysis, apply well-rotten
farmyard manure/compost at the time of planting. The crop requires
intensive weeding and this is the most expensive cultural operation
which contributes to a higher yield of the crop.
4. Irrigation: Basil requires water from rain or irrigation regularly,
throughout the growing season in order to maintain constant growth. Drip
irrigation is a better option for this crop.
5. Pests and diseases: Ocimum basilicum is susceptible to downy mildew
caused by the oomycete foliar pathogen Peronospora belbahrii. Now
resistant varieties of sweet basil are commercially available. For
controlling diseases, crop rotation is better, follow 3- year-crop
rotation with rice, wheat and mint. |
| Harversting |
Harvesting for basil is non-destructive. The first harvest is obtained at 90 to 95 days of planting. Thereafter it may be harvested at every 65-75 days interval. Some producers of essential oils harvest basil only once and then during the full flowering stage. Other producers harvest the crop
just as flowering commences and allows for regrowth to have additional harvests during the same season up to 4 cuttings are possible. When harvesting basil for the fresh market, make the cuts 5 mm above a node and at a height of 10 to 15 cm, and leave sufficient foliage on the plant so that it can continue with healthy growth. The ideal time to harvest basil that has to be dried is on a sunny morning, immediately after the dew has evaporated, and before the day becomes too warm. |
| Processing |
The leaves were dried in order to reduce the initial moisture content. The dried leaves were placed in sealed plastic bags, protected from light and moisture, and stored in a refrigerator with low humidity. |
| References |
NA |
