Optimizing Controlled-Environment Hydroponic Parameters for Maximizing Bioactive Compounds in Ocimum basilicum

Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences | Vol. 12, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 102–106

DOI: 10.46882/2026.AAAS.120801

Research Article

Title: Optimizing Controlled-Environment Hydroponic Parameters for Maximizing Bioactive Compounds in Ocimum basilicum

Names of Authors: Tanaka, H.¹, Sato, M.¹, and Yamamoto, K.²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. ²National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Japan.

Abstract: Controlled environment agriculture allows production of high-value culinary herbs with specific chemical profiles. This investigation optimized electric conductivity (EC) values and lighting ratios within indoor vertical hydroponic systems to maximize sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) biomass production and total rosmarinic acid outputs. Basil crops were evaluated under three nutrient EC treatments (1.2, 1.8, and 2.4 dS/m) paired with three red-to-blue LED light configurations (4:1, 2:1, and 1:1 ratios). The 1.8 dS/m nutrient setup combined with a 2:1 red-to-blue LED distribution achieved an optimal yield configuration, producing a fresh shoot weight of 142.5 ± 8.4 g per plant. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiles verified that this exact environment stimulated a 45.2% increase in total rosmarinic acid accumulations compared to low EC control groups. Increasing nutrient salinity to 2.4 dS/m triggered mild osmotic stress, causing leaf tip burn and reducing commercial leaf areas. The study confirms that adjusting environmental and nutritional conditions can maximize both agronomic output and phytochemical concentration values.

Keywords: Vertical farming; Plant factories; Rosmarinic acid; Light emitting diodes; Electrical conductivity; Secondary metabolites.

Manuscript Timeline: Received April 15, 2026; Revised June 10, 2026; Accepted July 20, 2026; Published August 12, 2026.

Citation: Tanaka, H., Sato, M., and Yamamoto, K. (2026). Optimizing Controlled-Environment Hydroponic Parameters for Maximizing Bioactive Compounds in Ocimum basilicum. Advances in Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences, 12(8), pp. 102–106.

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