Optimizing nutrient supply to enhance biomass, nutrient status, phytochemicals, and photosynthetic pigments in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
- 1Institute of Horticulture, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra
- 2AgroBioTech Research Centre, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of different nutrient regimes on the growth, physiology, and quality of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) grown under hydroponic conditions. Two cultivars, ‘Lettuce Leaf’ (LL) and ‘Purple Opal’ (PO), were evaluated under six nutrient regimes, including a control supplied exclusively with reverse osmosis water and five commercial fertilizers: Plagron Hydro A + B, Plagron Alga Grow, Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Grow Micro Bloom, Canna Aqua Vega A + B, and Jungle in da box Urban A + B Mikro. Nutrient supply significantly affected biomass production, morphological parameters, dry matter content, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. The highest biomass yields were achieved under complex mineral and organo-mineral nutrient regimes. Fresh biomass per cube reached 3.715 g in LL treated with Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Grow Micro Bloom and 4.071 g in PO treated with Jungle in da box Urban A + B Mikro, representing approximately 43-fold and 60-fold higher biomass production, respectively, compared with the control treatment. Cultivar-specific responses were also observed, with PO generally exhibiting higher biomass production, dry matter content, and vitamin C concentrations than LL. Nutrient regimes also significantly influenced additional quality-related parameters. Chlorophyll a content reached a maximum of 861.15 mg g−1 in PO treated with Jungle in da box Urban A + B Mikro, whereas the highest chlorophyll b content (335.46 mg g−1) was recorded in LL. These results indicate a strong influence of nutrient supply on the photosynthetic apparatus and its efficiency. The composition of volatile compounds varied substantially depending on both nutrient regime and cultivar, with more intensive nutrient treatments promoting the accumulation of key aromatic compounds associated with secondary metabolism. The results confirm that optimized mineral and organo-mineral nutrient regimes can simultaneously enhance biomass production, nutritional value, and sensory quality of hydroponically grown basil. They also highlight the importance of considering not only nutrient solution composition but also cultivar-specific responses when designing nutrient management strategies for controlled-environment production systems.
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BibTeX
@article{andrejiova2026optimizing,
title = {{Optimizing nutrient supply to enhance biomass, nutrient status, phytochemicals, and photosynthetic pigments in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)}},
author = {Alena Andrejiová and Miroslav Šlosár and Jana Lakatošová and Marcel Golian and Ján Mezey and Štefan Gažo and Nicolas Menyhart and Ivana Mezeyová},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-61072-x},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61072-x},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Optimizing nutrient supply to enhance biomass, nutrient status, phytochemicals, and photosynthetic pigments in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
AU - Alena Andrejiová
AU - Miroslav Šlosár
AU - Jana Lakatošová
AU - Marcel Golian
AU - Ján Mezey
AU - Štefan Gažo
AU - Nicolas Menyhart
AU - Ivana Mezeyová
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-61072-x
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61072-x
AB - This study investigated the effects of different nutrient regimes on the growth, physiology, and quality of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) grown under hydroponic conditions. Two cultivars, ‘Lettuce Leaf’ (LL) and ‘Purple Opal’ (PO), were evaluated under six nutrient regimes, including a control supplied exclusively with reverse osmosis water and five commercial fertilizers: Plagron Hydro A + B, Plagron Alga Grow, Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Grow Micro Bloom, Canna Aqua Vega A + B, and Jungle in da box Urban A + B Mikro. Nutrient supply significantly affected biomass production, morphological parameters, dry matter content, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. The highest biomass yields were achieved under complex mineral and organo-mineral nutrient regimes. Fresh biomass per cube reached 3.715 g in LL treated with Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect Grow Micro Bloom and 4.071 g in PO treated with Jungle in da box Urban A + B Mikro, representing approximately 43-fold and 60-fold higher biomass production, respectively, compared with the control treatment. Cultivar-specific responses were also observed, with PO generally exhibiting higher biomass production, dry matter content, and vitamin C concentrations than LL. Nutrient regimes also significantly influenced additional quality-related parameters. Chlorophyll a content reached a maximum of 861.15 mg g−1 in PO treated with Jungle in da box Urban A + B Mikro, whereas the highest chlorophyll b content (335.46 mg g−1) was recorded in LL. These results indicate a strong influence of nutrient supply on the photosynthetic apparatus and its efficiency. The composition of volatile compounds varied substantially depending on both nutrient regime and cultivar, with more intensive nutrient treatments promoting the accumulation of key aromatic compounds associated with secondary metabolism. The results confirm that optimized mineral and organo-mineral nutrient regimes can simultaneously enhance biomass production, nutritional value, and sensory quality of hydroponically grown basil. They also highlight the importance of considering not only nutrient solution composition but also cultivar-specific responses when designing nutrient management strategies for controlled-environment production systems.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -