Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil Cultivars
In the Italian culinary tradition, young and tender leaves of Genovese basil (<i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.) are used to prepare pesto sauce, a tasty condiment that attracts the interest of the food processing industry. Like other leafy or aromatic vegetables, basil is harvested more than o...
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/3/560 |
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| author | Luigi Formisano Michele Ciriello Christophe El-Nakhel Marios C. Kyriacou Youssef Rouphael |
| author_facet | Luigi Formisano Michele Ciriello Christophe El-Nakhel Marios C. Kyriacou Youssef Rouphael |
| author_sort | Luigi Formisano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the Italian culinary tradition, young and tender leaves of Genovese basil (<i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.) are used to prepare pesto sauce, a tasty condiment that attracts the interest of the food processing industry. Like other leafy or aromatic vegetables, basil is harvested more than once during the crop cycle to maximize yield. However, the mechanical stress induced by successive cuts can affect crucial parameters associated with pesto processing (leaf/stem ratio, stem diameter, and dry matter). Our research accordingly aimed to evaluate the impact of successive harvests on three field-grown Genovese basil cultivars (“Aroma 2”, “Eleonora” and “Italiano Classico”) in terms of production, physiological behavior, and technological parameters. Between the first and second harvest, marketable fresh yield and shoot dry biomass increased by 148.4% and 172.9%, respectively; by contrast, the leaf-to-stem ratio decreased by 22.5%, while the dry matter content was unchanged. The increased fresh yield and shoot dry biomass at the second harvest derived from improved photosynthetic efficiency, which enabled higher net CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation, F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> and transpiration as well as reduced stomatal resistance. Our findings suggest that, under the Mediterranean environment, “Italiano Classico” carries superior productive performance and optimal technological characteristics in line with industrial requirements. These promising results warrant further investigation of the impact successive harvests may have on the qualitative components of high-yielding basil genotypes with respect to consumer expectations of the final product. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:12:32Z |
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| id | doaj.art-662baf7ae4674bf3a2e504cd6d2136ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:12:32Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-662baf7ae4674bf3a2e504cd6d2136ac2023-11-21T10:40:27ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952021-03-0111356010.3390/agronomy11030560Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil CultivarsLuigi Formisano0Michele Ciriello1Christophe El-Nakhel2Marios C. Kyriacou3Youssef Rouphael4Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyDepartment of Vegetable Crops, Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia 1516, CyprusDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyIn the Italian culinary tradition, young and tender leaves of Genovese basil (<i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.) are used to prepare pesto sauce, a tasty condiment that attracts the interest of the food processing industry. Like other leafy or aromatic vegetables, basil is harvested more than once during the crop cycle to maximize yield. However, the mechanical stress induced by successive cuts can affect crucial parameters associated with pesto processing (leaf/stem ratio, stem diameter, and dry matter). Our research accordingly aimed to evaluate the impact of successive harvests on three field-grown Genovese basil cultivars (“Aroma 2”, “Eleonora” and “Italiano Classico”) in terms of production, physiological behavior, and technological parameters. Between the first and second harvest, marketable fresh yield and shoot dry biomass increased by 148.4% and 172.9%, respectively; by contrast, the leaf-to-stem ratio decreased by 22.5%, while the dry matter content was unchanged. The increased fresh yield and shoot dry biomass at the second harvest derived from improved photosynthetic efficiency, which enabled higher net CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation, F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> and transpiration as well as reduced stomatal resistance. Our findings suggest that, under the Mediterranean environment, “Italiano Classico” carries superior productive performance and optimal technological characteristics in line with industrial requirements. These promising results warrant further investigation of the impact successive harvests may have on the qualitative components of high-yielding basil genotypes with respect to consumer expectations of the final product.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/3/560<i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.italiano classicomarketable yieldmineral compositionorganic acidsF<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> |
| spellingShingle | Luigi Formisano Michele Ciriello Christophe El-Nakhel Marios C. Kyriacou Youssef Rouphael Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil Cultivars Agronomy <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L. italiano classico marketable yield mineral composition organic acids F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> |
| title | Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil Cultivars |
| title_full | Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil Cultivars |
| title_fullStr | Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil Cultivars |
| title_full_unstemmed | Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil Cultivars |
| title_short | Successive Harvests Modulate the Productive and Physiological Behavior of Three Genovese Pesto Basil Cultivars |
| title_sort | successive harvests modulate the productive and physiological behavior of three genovese pesto basil cultivars |
| topic | <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L. italiano classico marketable yield mineral composition organic acids F<sub>v</sub>/F<sub>m</sub> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/3/560 |
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