Planting Design for Desert Landscapes

Basil has generally been taken as a standard culinary herb. It has been used as a traditional medicine in some countries around the world and used in the treatment of various medical conditions and ailments. A field experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria to determine the growth and yield response of Basil (Ocimum basilicum) to organic and inorganic fertilizer types and rates. Poultry manure as organic fertilizer was applied at three rates 0, 5 and 10tons/ha and NPK 15-15-15 as inorganic fertilizer was applied at 300kg/ha. The seeds were raised in a greenhouse nursery and transplanted at five weeks after sowing. The experiment was in a Randomized Complete Block Design with a plot size of 4 m x3 m using 60 cm x50 cm spacing, replicated three times.  Parameters for growth indices were; plant height, number of branches, number of leaves and stem girth while the yield parameters were fresh leaf and seed yield. Numbers of branches, plant height, number of leaves, stem girth, fresh leaf yield, dry leaf yield, seed yield, were higher with 5 tons/ha manure rate relative to other rates.  There were significant differences in the growth parameters from 2-6 WAT before the first harvest under the fertilizer type and rate used.  From 7 to 10 weeks after first harvest (WAFH), growth parameters were also significantly different under the fertilizer types except in stem girth. Cumulative seeds yield were significantly influenced by types of fertilizer. In conclusion, 5 tons/ha organic manure  had the highest leaf yield followed by 10 tons/ha and inorganic (NPK 15-15-15) with the mean  values of 2.00 kg,1.4 kg and 1.1kg/plant leaf yield respectively and average seed yield means 825 g,883 g and 593g, respectively.

Plants are part and parcel of any urban landscape. Plants in urban areas serve many functions. They are preferred for climatic, environmental, visual, medicinal, functional and religious purposes. Planting design being a part of process of landscaping, it needs to be based on site conditions. Gulbarga poses limiting conditions for growth of plants in terms of hot dry climate, soil type and water quality and physical environment. Plant selection becomes a major task in landscape process. Analyses of effects of these limiting conditions on plants are necessary to make planting successful. Plant selection criteria are worked out based on the limiting factors and adaptability of the plants to make landscaping successful.