Ocimum basilicum L.Production,some agro techniques

Ocimum basilicum L. (Sweet basil) is economical medicinal tropical and sub-tropical herbage and essential oil yielding crop of India. Leaves followed by the inflorescence and stem are the richest source of essential oil mainly eugenol, methyl chavicol and linalool . It is valuable source of traditional medicine and people of developing countries are dependent completely for their primary healthcare needs as the plant is stomatic, anti helmintic, anti pyretic, diaphoretic, expectorant, carminative, stimulant and pectoral in nature. Also a source of aroma compounds and essential oils containing active constituents that have insect repellent, nematocidal, anti bacterial and antifungal , anti emetic agents and antioxidants activities. For improvement in herbage yield and essential oil content impact of nitrogen @ 50kg N/ha applied by different methods and sources was tested (Experiment-1) as well as influence of different sowing dates and population densities (seed rates) were noted on herb yield and essential oil content (Experiment-2), all have been described in detail in this book. Full soil application of nitrogen in the form of diammonium phosphate proved significantly best.