Sweet basil can be grown hydroponically at low phosphorus and high sodium chloride concentration: Effect on plant and nutrient solution management

Agronomic inputs in agriculture easily exceed crop needs causing environment pollution. Phosphorus (P) is a macronutrient largely used in agriculture as a mineral fertilizer that requires an accurate management because it is a finite and non-renewable resource. Growing plants hydroponically can optimize plant nutrition achieving high crop nutrient use efficiency. However, irrigation water of poor quality (saline) interferes with crop per- formance. In this study, the effects of different P and NaCl levels in the root zone were evaluated on basil plants grown in a deep liquid culture system in a growth chamber. Two experiments with different P (from 0.1 to 1.0 mol m