Nectar secretion in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) grown in different soil conditions.

摘要

In an experiment conducted during the flowering period of 2003, in Belgrade, Serbia, 10 basil (O. basilicum) seedlings at the 2-leaf stage were transplanted into experimental plots (46.5x19x14.5 cm) filled with 3 different soils (eutric cambisol, fluvisol and humoglay) taken from the basin of the Sava river in the northern part of the country. Basil secreted nectar continuously from morning to evening, or at least for most of the day. Diurnal dynamics of nectar secretion had similar trends for fluvisol and humoglay (with one daily maximum at 10.00 h), but on eutric cambisol the highest nectar volume was recorded at the first measurement, after which it regularly decreased. Morphometric measurements of plants, including the number of flowers per plant, indicated that plant growth and development was highly affected by the soil features. On the basis of the comparative study of diurnal and seasonal dynamics of nectar secretion on different soil types, basil could be considered as very attractive for honey bee forage.