The Effects of Biological and Chemical Fertilizers Application on Growthand Concentration of Elements (N, P, K) in Leaf of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

In order to have a sustainable agriculture it is necessary to use environmental friendly inputs to improve ecological aspects of environment. Basil is a medicinal and vegetable crop which is cultivated in different parts of the world. Accordingly, a greenhouse experiment was conducted in Agriculture Faculty of Birjand University as a completely randomized design based on factorial arrangement in four replicates in 2011. In order to study the effect of biological and chemical fertilizers on plant of basil plant an experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of Agriculture Faculty, Birjand University in 2011.It was based on factorial experiment in randomized complete design with 15 treatments and 4 replications. The first factor was three levels of biological fertilizer, including:control (M0= no inoculation) biological compound fertilizer No.1 (M1 =Pseudomonas41+ Azospirillum+ Azotobacter) and the biological fertilizer composed of No.2 (M2= Pseudomonas187+ Azospirillum+ Azotobacter). The second factor was chemical fertilizer including Nitrogen [N0=0, N1=45, N2=90, N3=135, N4=180 mg.kg-1], Potassium [P0=0, P1=20, P2=40, P3=60, P4=80 mg.kg-1] and Phosphorus [P0=0, P1=20, P2=40, P3=60, P4=80 mg.kg-1], including 5 levels: Contorl, N1P1K1, N2P2K2, N3P3K3, N4P4K4.quantity indicators including (height, fresh leaf weight per plant, dry stem weight per plant,) and quality indices including (N, P and K concentrations). The results of analysis of variance showed the main effects of biological and chemical fertilizers (NPK) on the characteristics was significant (P<0.01). Interaction of biological and chemical fertilizers on the, fresh leaf weight per plant and nitrogen amount in basil leave was significant (P<0.05). There was positive and synergistic interaction between PGPR inoculation and chemical fertilizers on N concentration as the highest and lowest N concentration percentage in herb were obtained in treatments of P41AA+N3P3K3 (3.31) and Contorl (2.39), respectively. The highest concentrations of P and K in leaf were obtained with application of N3P3K3.It is concluded thatapplication of biofertilizers enhanced quantitative and qualitative characteristics in this plant.Generally, it seems that using of biofertilizers could improve basil performance inaddition toreduction of environmental pollution.