Productive, Morpho-Physiological, and Postharvest Performance of Six Basil Types Grown in a Floating Raft System: A Comparative Study

Basil (Ocimum sp.) is one of the world's most famous culinary fresh herbs, characterized by rapid growth that makes it particularly suitable for hydroponic cultivation. This study aimed to evaluate the adaptability of six types of basil to a closed-loop hydroponic system (floating raft system) and their post-harvest performance. Twenty-three days after transplantation, productivity, morpho-physiological performance, and mineral profile (by ion chromatography) were evaluated. At 3, 6, and 9 days after harvest, the loss of water from the from leaves stored at 10 degrees C in the dark was evaluated. Although the total fresh production of Thai, Mexican, and Genovese did not differ significantly, the latter provided a higher fresh leaf weight (16.52 g of plant(-1)) despite a lower leaf number (30.06 n. of plant(-1)). Nine days after harvest, Thai and Mexican showed the lowest water loss. Although Mexican Purple had the lowest net CO2 assimilation, it accumulated the highest concentration of ascorbic acid (909.41 mg 100 g fw(-1)).

Automated summary

This study evaluated the adaptability and post-harvest performance of six types of basil in a closed-loop hydroponic system. Russian basil showed the highest productivity, while Thai and Mexican basil exhibited the best water retention after harvest.