Respose of Selected Medicinal Basil Accessions to Agronomic Treatments.

Basil (Ocimum spp.) belonging to mint family Labiateae is a popular herb grown for culinary, aromatic, ornamental, and medicinal purposes worldwide.  In the US, however, it has a limited acceptance as a fresh market herb.  Basil, particularly O. tenuiflorum possesses clinically proven medicinal properties and has been used to treat ailments ranging from common colds to complex diseases such as cancers and diabetes.   A potential exists for the development of basil as a medicinal herb in the southeastern US.  In a three year study, three basil (O. tenuiflorum) accessions were evaluated for their responses to date of planting, spacing, colored plastic mulch, N-fertilizer levels, and organic production methods with the objective of developing optimal agronomic production system for basil in southeastern US.  The study not only allowed for a comparison of genotypic and chemical variation among basil accessions in response to various agronomic treatments but also provided information for the development of best management practices for the production of basil with desirable chemical composition in the southeastern US.