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Enhancing crop productivity and sustainability remains a major challenge due to the environmental impact of conventional chemical methods. Laser seed bio-stimulation offers an eco-friendly approach to improve plant growth, quality, and stress tolerance. Laser irradiation as a seed pre-treatment offers a sustainable, non-chemical approach that may contribute to improved quality and safety of medicinal and aromatic plants. This study evaluated the effects of red (650 nm) and blue (450 nm) laser irradiation for 5 and 10 min on sweet basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.) seeds by analyzing vegetative growth, biochemical composition, phytohormones, and genetic variation compared to the control. Results demonstrated that 10-min laser treatment significantly enhanced plant growth, including parameters such as plant height, main stem length, number of leaves per plant, fresh and dry shoot weight, and root length, relative to the control. Laser exposure also strengthened basil leaf anatomy by thickening conducting tissues and increasing total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, pigment concentrations, phytohormone levels (GA₃ and IAA), essential oil yield, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Laser treatment modulated the essential oil composition, with variable responses among individual constituents. The impact of laser irradiation on Ocimum basilicum to induce genetic variability and enhance its physiological performance. Basil seeds were exposed to different laser type and wave length, and the resulting plants were evaluated for morphological changes and genomic polymorphism using SCoT and ISSR markers. SCoT and ISSR markers revealed that 10-min laser irradiation induced the most distinct genetic variations. SCoT primers produced 6 polymorphic bands (60%, 290–1300 bp), while ISSR primers detected 82 bands, with 22% polymorphism (150–1700 bp). Cluster analysis showed that 10-min treatments had the lowest genetic similarity, whereas 5-min treatments were more similar to the control. Combining data from both markers confirmed that red and blue laser exposure for 10 min resulted in the lowest similarity scores, while 5-min treatments exhibited the highest similarity. The present findings validate that laser irradiation can act as an eco-friendly bio-stimulation tool to enhance basil growth and biochemical composition. These results highlight its potential applications in sustainable agriculture, though further validation under open-field conditions is still required. Key Message “Laser irradiation significantly enhanced basil morphology, phytochemical profile, some essential oil composition, and genetic expression, providing novel insights for improving Ocimum basilicum growth and bioactive compounds.”

Salinity is a major abiotic stress that disrupts ion balance, water uptake, and plant metabolism, ultimately reducing growth and productivity. Climate change, induced evaporation, and altered rainfall patterns are accelerating salinization, posing a challenge to soilless systems where water quality directly impacts nutrient availability. Basil, a salt-sensitive and high-value aromatic herb, shows marked physiological decline under salinity, including reduced water and nutrient uptake, impaired photosynthetic activity, disruption of ion balance, and increased oxidative stress. Here, we evaluated the potential of biostimulants—amino acids, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), fulvic acid, chitosan, and vermicompost—to alleviate salt-induced stress in basil grown with 50 mM NaCl in a floating culture system. Salt stress reduced leaf yield by 41.6%, stomatal conductance by 65.7%, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Among the biostimulants, PGPR and vermicompost were the most effective, increasing yield by over 90% compared to salt-stressed plants. These treatments enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (APX, CAT, GR, SOD), increased phenolics, flavonoids, and vitamin C, and reduced lipid peroxidation (up to 74.3% lower MDA). Moderate improvements were observed with amino acids, AMF, and chitosan, while fulvic acid showed limited effectiveness. Overall, PGPR and vermicompost strengthened basil’s resilience to salinity by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing physiological performance. These findings support their use as sustainable tools in managing saline conditions. Future studies should evaluate the biostimulant effectiveness under higher salinity and poor-quality water, and assess their impact on different basil cultivars, including essential oil and aroma-related traits.

Horticulture in controlled environments has been increasingly used to tackle limitations on crop production. As a crucial environmental factor, light regulate plant growth and metabolism. In the present study, basil plants were subjected to different light durations and intensities considering constant daily light integral (DLI). The lighting environment included 200, 300, and 400 µmol m − 2 s − 1 intensities for 18, 12, and 9 h, respectively. DLI amounted to 12.96 mol m − 2 d − 1 among all light treatments (LI200 for 18 h, LI300 for 12 h, and LI400 for 9 h). Half of the plants under each light treatment were exposed to 30 µmol m − 2 s − 1 of far-red light. The results indicated the general negative impact of LI400/9 on the growth of basils. Exposure to far-red light hurt the growth of the shoot, while it enhanced stem and petiole elongation. This effect was due to higher gibberellin accumulation, which resulted in shade avoidance responses. Exposure to far-red light also reduced anthocyanin and flavonoid contents, as two important nutritional components. Soluble carbohydrates increased, while storage carbohydrates decreased by increasing lighting duration/decreasing light intensity or by far-red light inclusion. The lowest antioxidant activity was detected in LI400/9. In the LI200/18, the highest level of auxin and the lowest level of cytokinin were detected, while the LI300/12 exhibited the highest level of gibberellin hormone. Low light intensity and long photoperiod enhanced plant biomass and phytochemical production and are recommended for basil production in controlled environments.

Food safety and security are now among the most urgent problems to be resolved as the world’s population continues to grow. Intensive agriculture is required to meet the demands of a growing population and guarantee greater agricultural yield. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are an essential part of intensive farming. Their extensive use accelerates the depletion of other important and minor nutrients, resulting in poor soil fertility and nutritional imbalance. There are serious health and environmental hazards associated with several of these hazardous agricultural chemicals. In context, for the first time, this study represents an innovative experiment exploring the impact of exogenously applied k-carrageenan on plant growth, physiological parameters, phytochemical content, macronutrients, and essential oil percentage in Ocimum basilicum plants. The investigation assessed the effect of varying k-carrageenan levels; 0.30, 0.60, 0.90, and 1.20 mM versus untreated control. The findings revealed that all k-carrageenan treatments significantly enhanced growth indicators compared to the control. The phytochemical analysis demonstrated that foliar application of k-carrageenan, particularly at 1.20 mM, significantly enhanced total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total carbohydrate and essential oil percentage compared to the untreated control. O. basilicum essential oils show rich, nuanced flavors with higher levels of Methyl cinnamate, Camphor, trans-methyl cinnamate, Eucalyptol, Linalool, and β-Caryophyllene among treatments. Treatment effects were also observed in the macroelements content of Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). k-carrageenan-induced alterations were noted in the contents of essential oil compounds. These results suggest that k-carrageenan can be a growth-promoting agent and significantly enhance essential oil yield, particularly in O. basilicum plants.

Basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.) and fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum - graecum L.) are essential oil-bearing medicinal plants that could be used for food spice, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) promote crop growth and yield through different mechanisms. A two-year study was conducted to investigate the effects of fertilizer treatments on growth characteristics, essential oil (EO) yield and compositions of basil in intercropping with fenugreek. A factorial experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates in 2021 and 2022 in West Azarbaijan, Iran. The first factor was cropping pattern including sole cropping of basil and fenugreek, strip intercropping of basil (B)-fenugreek (F) with replacement method in the ratios of 2B:2 F, 4B:2 F, 5B:3 F and an additive intercropping of 100% basil + 50% fenugreek (100B:50 F). The second factor was fertilizer at three levels including application of local recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDF), 50% RDF + biofertilizer of AMF + PGPR (50% RDF + Bio) and biofertilizer of AMF + PGPR (Bio). The greatest basil height was observed in 2B:2 F cropping pattern and 50% RDF + Bio treatment (50.39 cm). The greatest yield of dry herbage was observed in 5B:3B cropping pattern with RDF and 50% RDF + Bio treatments. The highest yields of EO were observed in sole basil (0.85 g m − 2 ) and 5B:3 F intercropping (0.72 g m − 2 ), in 50% RDF + Bio treatment. Methyl chavicol, methyl eugenol, β-caryophyllene and 1,8-cineole, were the main chemical constitutes of EO. The contents of major components of EO were affected differently by cropping pattern and fertilizer. The greatest content of methyl chavicol (53.7%), was observed in 2B:2 F and Bio fertilizer treatment. Also, the highest content of methyl eugenol was obtained in 4B:2 F and 50% RDF + Bio fertilizer treatment. The results of EO compositions also were approved by principal component analysis (PCA). At all treatments, the land equivalent ratios (LER T ) were more than 1.0 that indicates the advantage of intercropping patterns compared with sole crops. The highest LER T (1.99) was obtained in 2B:2 F intercropping with 50% RDF + Bio treatment. We can conclude that application of 50% RDF + Bio fertilizer treatment in 2B:2 F intercropping, increased the productivity of basil-fenugreek intercropping, improved the EO compositions and could be recommended to the growers in sustainable production of basil.

Achieving sustainable agricultural production through nanotechnology offers a promising approach to enhance both crop yield and quality. This study evaluated the effects of foliar graphene oxide nanoparticle (nGO) applications at 100, 200, 300, and 500 mg L⁻ 1 on the biological activity of basil ( Ocimum basilicum L. var. dino ) grown with chemical fertilizer (Ch) (NPK: 90:60:60 kg ha⁻ 1 ) or farmyard manure (F) (30 t ha⁻ 1 ). Field trials were arranged based on a split-plot design in the randomized complete block with three replications, consisting of 11 plots (Control, F, Ch, F + nGO 100 , F + nGO 200 , F + nGO 300 , F + nGO 500 , Ch + nGO 100 , Ch + nGO 200 , Ch + nGO 300 , Ch + nGO 500 ). Over two years (2022–2023), two cuttings were conducted annually. Increasing nGO doses reduced essential oil (EO) content. GC/FID-MS analysis identified linalool (48.8–57.92%) as the predominant EO component, followed by eugenol (16.62–26.24%), 1,8-cineole (5.11–10.66%), cis -α-bergamotene (3.37–8.05%), and γ-cadinene (1.38–2.67%). While nGO did not affect leaf extract antioxidant activity, it significantly influenced EO samples. While the highest DPPH and FRAP activities of EO were 68.22% and 253.5 µg TEs ml⁻ 1 , respectively, these parameters were found to be 88.35% and 250.30 µg TEs mg⁻ 1 for the extracts. The highest total phenolic content (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) in extracts were 96.09 µg GAE mg⁻ 1 and 8.78 µg QE mg⁻ 1 , respectively. FT-IR analysis revealed no detectable nGO residues in the dried leaves. The principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap analyses segregated applications into four groups, explaining 60.5% variance in basil’s antioxidant and EO profiles.

Main conclusion A model predicting the level of resistance of basil to downy mildew was developed. The model integrates plant age, genetic background, sporulation, disease intensity, pathogen races, and environmental data at an early stage of disease. These results can be used to select and develop new basil cultivars and accelerate the time needed in breeding for basil downy mildew resistance. Basil downy mildew (BDM) caused by the oomycete Peronospora belbahrii emerged as a global threat, rapidly becoming the most devastating disease of sweet basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and other Ocimum spp. worldwide. Despite advancements in understanding its biology and epidemiology, and the availability of approved fungicides and management strategies, BDM remains economically destructive and an ongoing risk to basil production worldwide. Recently, the development and introduction of resistant cultivars have emerged as crucial tools in BDM management and the emergence of new BDM races creates new challenges to controlling this disease. The present study aimed to provide growers and breeders with insights into the survival capabilities of resistant basil cultivars under varying genetic backgrounds, pathogen races, growth stages, and various environmental conditions. Through a series of lab and field experiments, we evaluated the response of multiple resistant sources and their lineages to various isolates of P. belbahrii across different locations, using multiple indices to assess their resistance. Entries carrying the R genes Pb1/Pb2 exhibited complete resistance across all races, growth stages, and environmental conditions. Those harboring the R-gene Pb2 showed similar resistance levels, with minor variability due to growth stage. Responses of Pb1 plants varied with pathogen race, displaying full resistance to race 0 at all growth stages but displaying susceptibility to race 1. Plant cultivars possessing MRI resistance genes and their recombinant inbred lines (RIL’s) exhibited variable responses to pathogen attacks, ranging from high tolerance to complete susceptibility. Some MRI RIL’s showed high resistance similar to Pb2 entries. Pb0 cultivars and 'Eleonora' (unknown background) were susceptible to all races and growth stages in all experiments. Comprehensive analysis across all genetic backgrounds revealed a significant correlation ( R  = 0.73) between disease intensity (D.I) at the seedling stage under controlled conditions and D.I in adult plants under field conditions. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) across six experiments indicated that the primary components influencing disease outcomes were the accession, race, and growth stage, explaining 65%, 22%, and 7% of the variability, respectively. A prediction model based on the statistical parameters residual (%) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) demonstrated strong predictability, particularly regarding pathogen sporulation and daily disease development rates. The model predicted resistance probabilities with R 2 values of 0.81, 0.91, and 0.93 at the second, third, and final disease score readings, respectively, significantly earlier (~ 14–21 days post-infection) than traditional assessments (~ 42 days). These findings demonstrate that resistance in basil entries against current pathogen races can be effectively assessed within weeks of disease onset, facilitating more timely and informed management decisions for growers and providing an important tool for plant breeders in search of improved BDM resistance.

Background Basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.), a globally significant medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family, contains valuable volatile oils, polyphenols, and flavonoids with wide applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. This study evaluated salinity stress responses across 13 basil cultivars, quantifying growth, morphological, and biochemical changes under 90 mM NaCl. Results Salinity stress (90 mM NaCl) significantly reduced shoot biomass across all cultivars ( p  < 0.01), with Variegated showing maximum reduction (59.8%) versus Bush/Light Purple cultivars (31%). Essential oil content increased in all cultivars except Dark Opal under 90 mM NaCl ( p  = 0.003), with Lettuce showing a 12-fold rise (0.05–0.60% v/w), though yield (mL/plant) declined in most cultivars due to biomass reduction. Cluster analysis revealed genotype-specific tolerance mechanisms: Purple cultivars demonstrated specify osmotic adjustment through 58% higher proline accumulation and 33% lower MDA levels than sensitive genotypes. Conclusions Bush and Light Purple exhibited superior salt tolerance (31% biomass reduction), ideal for cultivation in saline soils, while Lettuce and Afghan showed enhanced essential oil production (up to 12-fold increase) under 90 mM NaCl, offering potential for phytochemical extraction. The observed diversity in stress responses provides valuable genetic resources for breeding climate-resilient cultivars, supporting sustainable medicinal plant production.

Basil ( Ocimum L.) is an important essential oil crop, medicinal plant, and culinary herb, belonging to the Lamiaceae family. It has extensive nutritional and therapeutic benefits, making it valuable in culinary and medicinal applications. Hence, in this study, we aimed to induce basil’s nutritive and biological value. To this end, this study evaluates the potential of the plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas JP0825, isolated from the Jazan region, KSA, as a biopriming agent to improve the growth, nutritional quality, and bioactive compound profile of sweet ( Ocimum basilicum L.) and American ( Ocimum americanum L.) basil. The molecular identification of Pseudomonas JP0825 confirmed its phylogenetic relationship with other beneficial Pseudomonas species. Our findings revealed significant increases in photosynthetic pigments, biomass, and proximate composition, particularly in sweet basil, following inoculation. Elevated levels of vitamins, amino acids, and organic and fatty acids were observed, alongside enhanced secondary metabolites like phenolics and flavonoids, correlated with enhanced antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The antioxidant properties of treated basil improved significantly, as indicated by increased FRAP and ABTS activities. Furthermore, Pseudomonas JP0825 demonstrated an ability to boost the antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including Staphylococcus epidermidis , Enterococcus faecalis , Salmonella typhimurium , and Aspergillus flavus . These findings highlight the strain’s potential as a sustainable alternative to chemical inputs, offering improvements in crop quality and resilience, and contributing to global food security efforts.

Summary Many aromatic plants, such as spearmint, produce valuable essential oils in specialized structures called peltate glandular trichomes (PGTs). Understanding the regulatory mechanisms behind the production of these important secondary metabolites will help design new approaches to engineer them. Here, we identified a PGT‐specific R2R3‐MYB gene, MsMYB, from comparative RNA‐Seq data of spearmint and functionally characterized it. Analysis of MsMYB‐RNAi transgenic lines showed increased levels of monoterpenes, and MsMYB‐overexpressing lines exhibited decreased levels of monoterpenes. These results suggest that MsMYB is a novel negative regulator of monoterpene biosynthesis. Ectopic expression of MsMYB, in sweet basil and tobacco, perturbed sesquiterpene‐ and diterpene‐derived metabolite production. In addition, we found that MsMYB binds to cis‐elements of MsGPPS.LSU and suppresses its expression. Phylogenetic analysis placed MsMYB in subgroup 7 of R2R3‐MYBs whose members govern phenylpropanoid pathway and are regulated by miR858. Analysis of transgenic lines showed that MsMYB is more specific to terpene biosynthesis as it did not affect metabolites derived from phenylpropanoid pathway. Further, our results indicate that MsMYB is probably not regulated by miR858, like other members of subgroup 7.