Yield, Physiological Performance, and Phytochemistry of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) under Temperature Stress and Elevated CO(2) Concentrations

Early season sowing is one of the methods for avoiding yield loss for basil due to high temperatures. However, basil could be exposed to sub-optimal temperatures by planting it earlier in the season. Thus, an experiment was conducted that examines how temperature changes and carbon dioxide (CO(2)) levels affect basil growth, development, and phytonutrient concentrations in a controlled environment. The experiment simulated temperature stress, low (20/12 °C), and high (38/30 °C), under ambient (420 ppm) and elevated (720 ppm) CO(2) concentrations. Low-temperature stress prompted the rapid closure of stomata resulting in a 21% decline in net photosynthesis. Chlorophylls and carotenoids decreased when elevated CO(2) interacted with low-temperature stress. Basil exhibited an increase in stomatal conductance, intercellular CO(2) concentration, apparent quantum yield, maximum photosystem II efficiency, and maximum net photosynthesis rate when subjected to high-temperature stress. Under elevated CO(2), increasing the growth temperature from 30/22 °C to 38/30 °C markedly increased the antioxidants content of basil. Taken together, the evidence from this research recommends that varying the growth temperature of basil plants can significantly affect the growth and development rates compared to increasing the CO(2) concentrations, which mitigates the adverse effects of temperature stress.