In the present research, the effect of spectral control of light was evaluated on anatomical characteristics of Ocimum gratissimum L. leaves. The plants were cultivated during four months under black, red and blue nets with 50% of shade, and full sunlight. Plants grown under full sunlight showed higher leaf thickness, higher stomatal density and higher density of no-glandular and glandular trichomes on the adaxial epidermis. Plants cultivated under colored nets did not show differences in leaf thickness or leaf area. Plants maintained under red net had the lowest stomatal density in adaxial epidermis, as the plants cultivated under blue and red nets exhibited the largest leaf area. The plants maintained under red net showed the smallest stomatal density and the smallest non-glandular and glandular trichomes density in the adaxial epidermis. Such results show that the spectral quality and intensity of light can be modulated during the cultivation of Ocimum gratissimum L. plants in order to obtain desirable anatomical characteristics.
Ocimum gratissimum; shading; colored nets; chloroplast; trichomes
