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Basil (Ocimum basilicum.L) is an aromatic herb with economic importance due to its essential oils useful for the production of foods, perfumes, and medicines. Its chemical composition may vary by genetic factors, harvesting stage, and water availability. This work evaluated the content, yield, and the composition of sweet basil essential oil irrigated at different levels of soil water tension and harvested at different flowering stages. Plants were grown in 14-L pots inside a greenhouse located at the Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil. The 15 treatments were the combination of 5 levels of soil water tension that define when to irrigate (20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 kPa) with 3 harvest stages (beginning of flowering, full flowering, and end of flowering). Growth traits including total dry and fresh mass per plant and inflorescences, plant height, stem diameter, and inflorescences number were highest in plants grown at lower soil water tensions, 20 and 30 kPa. The harvesting at the end of flowering generated the highest values of essential oil content and yield. The 60 kPa soil water tension showed the highest percentage of essential oil content in dry mass, indicating that water stress concentrated essential oil in the plant. However, the basil profit is a function of the essential oil yield. The highest essential oil yield (g, dry weight basis) occurred when irrigation started at 20 and 30 kPa. The chemical components of the essential oil showed low variation, regardless of the treatment. For all the treatments, linalool was the components found in a more considerable amount, and its highest accumulation occurred when irrigated at soil water tension of 20 kPa and 30 kPa. A useful recommendation for basil growers is irrigation scheduling with 30 kPa and harvest at the end of flowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven local varieties of sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) in southeast and north Sulawesi and in northern Maluku were studied: one variety with a weak black band on the back of the petiole: three varieties with a brown band on the back of the petiole: seven bandless varieties comprising two spineless, four short spine and one long spine types. Large variation in morphological characteristics and pith dry-matter yield were estimated at 13% to 34% and 55%, respectively. The difference in pith dry-matter yield is mainly attributed to trunk diameter and dry-matter percentage of pith. Trunk diameter was not affected by the length or growth period, which might reflect the palm's own characteristics, such as genetic background and growth environment. The dry-matter percentage of pith was not related to any characteristics measured. The pith dry-matter yield was highest in the short spinetype, followed by the spineless and the long spine types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]