THE EFFECT OF APPLYING WITH IMMUNOCYTOPHYTE ON THE CONTENT AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM COMMON BASIL OF ‘TRAKIA’ CULTIVAR

Abstract

The aim of the study was to establish the effect of the leaf treatments with Immunocytophyte on the content, yield and chemical composition of the essential oil distilled from dry leaf and stems biomass and flower spikes of common basil, ‘Trakia’ cultivar. The experiment was carried out in the period 2007-2009 on the Training-and-Experimental fields of the Agricultural University – Plovdiv, set by the block plot design in four replications, the plot size being 20 m2. The following variants were studied: 1) Control; 2) 0.5 tablet per 50 m2, 3) 1 tablet per 50 m2, 4) 1.5 tablet per 50 m2, applied three times during the vegetation period before flowering of the second-order branches after basic fertilization with 16 kg/da of nitrogen (applied three times) and irrigation to 80-100% of water holding capacity. The results showed that the application of Immunocytophyte had a negative effect on the essential oil content. Nevertheless, higher essential oil yields were obtained in the treated variants thanks to the higher yield of dry matter. The major components of the essential oil distilled from dry leaf and stem biomass and flower spikes are linalool, limonene, methyl chavicol and methyl cinnamate.