Hydroponically Cultivated and Soil Cultivated Ocimum basilicum (Italian Basil)- A study on its Yield and Quantity of Antioxidants

Growing of Ocimum basilicum in Hydroponic as well as in traditional soil system are well established, while the comparison between these two growing system is not studied in detail. This study is conducted to check the performance of Ocimum basilicum in both hydroponic as well as in traditional soil systems. The Italian Basil plants were grown in hydroponic beds with flowing of nutritional water and a set of the same plants was grown in soil pots. The studied parameters include morphological, biochemical and antioxidant levels. The number of leaves increased with age and found more in number about 111.00 and 185.00 with hydroponic system as compared to that of traditional soil system which reduced to 101.00 and 156.00 evaluated on 40 days and 70 days respectively. The total leaf area showed a similar trend representing 3.88 cm and 3.92 cm in the hydroponic system while in traditional soil system it is 3.18 cm and 3.75 cm at 40 and 70 days respectively. The hydroponic system significantly increased the ascorbic acid content of the plants as compared to that of the traditional soil system plants; it represented 3.67 mg/g in hydroponic system when compared to 3.2 mg/g in the traditional soil system evaluated on 70 days. The fresh weight was higher in hydroponic system plants when compared to traditional soil system plants. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that the hydroponic system is the better choice for growing of Italian Basil.