Physiological and metabolic alterations in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) varieties under distinct soil water levels

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a medicinal species used in several areas, such as food, medicines and cosmetics, and the understanding of its physiological behavior under environmental conditions is of paramount importance for the improvement of cultivation methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different water availability under physiological, biochemical and metabolic characteristics, in three distinct genotypes: 'Alfavaca basilicão', 'Gennaro de menta' and 'Grecco à palla', during two different phenological stages (vegetative and reproductive). It was found that the water deficit promotes physiological changes to tolerate water stress, and the studied genotypes have different routes to achieve this physiological tolerance, which culminates in a distinct accumulation of metabolites in plants, and can be considered interesting if the final product is the production of essential oils.

Putrescine and deficit irrigation as regulatory factors in basil plants metabolism and morpho-physiology

“…Nevertheless, the biosynthesis of secondary compounds in basil plants diverges according to genotype, environment, and time of harvest (Scagel;Lee, 2012). and its profile can be modified by anthropic management, as deficit irrigation or fertilization (Castro et al, 2022;Pirbalouti et al, 2017), which contributes to increase the secondary compounds of interest in these plants. Also, some plant physiological processes are modified by anthropic management, such as net assimilation of carbon dioxide, stomata opening and closure, leaf expansion, vegetal growth, and secondary compounds synthesis (Mahajan et al, 2020).…”