Chicken Manure and Phosphorus Influence on Biomass Production and Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil of Ocimum kilimandscharicum

The effects of soil incorporation of five rates of semi-decomposed chicken manure (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 t ha-1), with and without the addition of phosphorus (200 kg P2O5 ha-1) on biomass production and chemical composition of the essential oil from leaves of African blue basil were evaluated. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme, with four replicates. The first cut of plants was performed at 70 days after transplanting (DAT) and the second at 140 DAT. The addition of 20 t ha-1 of chicken manure to the soil induced increase in plants height, fresh and dry mass production and yield of essential oil. The use of chicken manure induced an increase in camphor content and decreased content of 1,8 cineole. After regrowth, biomass production of African blue basil was higher when compared to the first cut.