Genetic Evaluation for Herbage Yield and Essential Oil Content in some Collections of Ocimum basilicum Linn.

Nine collections of Ocimum basilicum were evaluated for herbage yield and total essential content for two years. The average herbage yield per plant varied from 2.21 kg to 0.73 kg and the range of variation for essential oil content was found to be from 0.12 to 0.22 per cent on green herb basis. Both genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were higher for herbage yield as compared to essential oil content. Hertability in broad sense was found to be comparatively higher for essential oil content. Some progress through selection for herbage yield and essential oil content is anticipated.