The Effect of Vermicompost and Moisture Stress on Concentration of Micro Nutrients in the Plant and Soil after Harvesting Green Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Drought is one of the most frequent abiotic stresses. Organic fertilizers application such as vermicompost, reduced negative effects of water stresses. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of vermicompost and moisture stress on the nutrients amount in plants and soil after harvesting, factorial based on a completely randomized design with two factors and 3 replications in Agricultural faculty of Lorestan. The first factor includes four vermicompost levels (0, 10, 20 and 30 g kg-1 soil) and the second factor includes three moisture levels (100, 75 and 55% of field capacity). The results showed that the highest shoot dry weight was observed in the surface without moisture stress and application of 30 g of vermicompost per kg of soil (5.9 g pot-1). The highest concentration of shoot Fe (65.29 mg kg-1) at the highest stress level (55% of field moisture) and 30 g of vermicompost and the highest concentration of shoot Cu (8.23 mg kg-1) At the level of water stress, there was 75% of the field capacity and application of 20 g of vermicompost. With increasing water stress, the concentration of Zn and Mn in the shoots of the plant was significantly reduced compared to the control treatment. At the level of water stress 55% of field capacity and application of 30 g of vermicompost, the highest concentration of Fe (3.55 mg kg-1) and Zn (2.70 mg kg-1) in soil after harvest was observed. Also, with increasing water stress, the concentration of Cu and Cu in the soil after harvest increased significantly. Considering the positive effect of vermicompost application in reducing the adverse effect of water stress on yield and nutrient concentration of basil, it can be a suitable fertilizer to increase the dry mater of basil plant in conditions of moisture stress.