Effect of foliar application of iron, potassium, and zinc nano-chlates on nutritional value and essential oil of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) belongs to the mint family, which contains essential oils and phenolic compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Iron, potassium, and zinc are essential nutrients for plants. The use of nano-chelates is effective on vegetative characteristics essential oils percentages of medicinal plants. The aim of this study was to investigate foliar application effects of nano-chelates levels on morphophysiological and phytochemical traits of basil. This experiment was performed as a completely randomized statistical design with 10 treatments including nano-chelates of iron, potassium, and zinc (0, 2, 4, and 6 mg/l). Non-foliar treatment with nano-chelates was used as a control treatment. The results showed that foliar application of different levels of nano-chelates had a significant effect on traits such as shoot fresh weight, total chlorophyll, flavonoids, amount of iron, potassium, and zinc at the level of 1%. Also, there was a significant impact on traits such as shoot and root dry weight, root fresh weight, phenol, vitamin C and essential oil percentage at 5% level. The highest fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots, vitamin C, phenol, and zinc was observed in Zn nano-chelate treatment. The highest content of total chlorophyll, flavonoids, iron content, and essential oil content in Fe nano-chelate treatment and the highest amount of potassium was in the treatment of K nano-chelate. Foliar application of different levels of nano-chelates in basil improved quantitative qualitative and nutritional contents. Nano-chelate fertilizers affected the percentage of compounds and the amount of essential oil compounds except methyl chavicol.