Evaluation of the Essential Oils from Nine Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)Cultivars Planted in Southern Brazil

Abstract The goal of the present work was to establish the essential oil yields and chemical compositions of nine Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars. The plants were grown in the fields, in an averaged experimental design, using ten plants of each of the nine cultivars in each parcel, making three repeats of each experiment. The parameters measured were fresh and dry weight of the aerial parts, yield and chemical compositions of the essential oils. The yields ranged from 6.21 to 42.51 L/ha, the Genovese cultivar being the most productive. The chemical composition of all cultivars had high contents of linalool, with the highest being that of the Toscano “lettuce leave” cultivar.