Table 4. Ocimum basilicum characteristics exposed to 12 h daylight, followed by different lengths of night lighting

Parameter	Cycle 1				Cycle 2
Parameter	0 h	4 h	8 h	12 h	0 h	4 h	8 h	12 h
Initial LA (cm²/leaf)	2.4 ± 0.2	2.4 ± 0.1	2.4 ± 0.2	2.4 ± 0.2	2.4 ± 0.0	2.4 ± 0.0	2.4 ± 0.2	2.4 ± 0.2
Final LA (cm²/leaf)	15.5 ± 0.3^a	15.7 ± 0.7^a	15.7 ± 0.3^a	15.8 ± 0.7^a	16.2 ± 0.5^a	16.3 ± 0.5^a	16.3 ± 0.8^a	16.2 ± 0.8^a
LA gain (cm²/leaf)	13.1 ± 0.2^a	13.3 ± 0.7^a	13.3 ± 0.1^a	13.4 ± 0.5^a	13.8 ± 0.4^a	13.9 ± 0.5^a	13.9 ± 0.6^a	13.9 ± 0.7^a
LA gain (%/leaf)	549.8 ± 31.9^a	550.7 ± 13.7^a	526.9 ± 42.7^a	555.6 ± 25.0^a	587.1 ± 10.9^a	588.5 ± 11.0^a	589.5 ± 20.6^a	586.3 ± 13.8^a
Initial LN (leaves/pot)	6.0 ± 0.6	6.3 ± 0.7	6.0 ± 1.2	6.7 ± 0.7	6.7 ± 0.3	6.3 ± 0.7	6.7 ± 13	7.0 ± 0.6
Final LN (leaves/pot)	28.7 ± 0.9^a	31.0 ± 3.1^a	30.3 ± 4.4^a	31.3 ± 2.8^a	33.3 ± 2.4^a	33.7 ± 3.0^a	34.3 ± 4.7^a	35.3 ± 3.4^a
LN gain (leaves/pot)	22.7 ± 0.9^a	24.7 ± 2.4^a	24.3 ± 3.3^a	24.7 ± 2.2^a	26.7 ± 2.2^a	27.3 ± 2.3^a	27.7 ± 3.3^a	28.3 ± 2.8^a
LN gain (%)	386.2 ± 47.3^a	420.8 ± 53.2^a	420.8 ± 53.2^a	370.8 ± 6.4^a	400.0 ± 24.7^a	434.3 ± 17.8^a	433.3 ± 45.8^a	404.4 ± 16.6^a
Initial PH (cm/pot)	5.1 ± 0.4	5.7 ± 0.1	5.4 ± 0.4	5.5 ± 0.2	5.3 ± 0.4	5.3 ± 0.2	5.3 ± 0.3	5.4 ± 0.1
Final PH (cm/pot)	21.8 ± 1.4^a	24.9 ± 1.6^a	26.3 ± 2.1^a	26.1 ± 1.8^a	25.6 ± 1.7^a	26.2 ± 2.2^a	26.6 ± 1.8^a	26.1 ± 1.8^a
PH gain (cm/pot)	16.6 ± 1.4^a	19.2 ± 1.6^a	20.8 ± 1.8^a	21.7 ± 0.8^a	20.3 ± 1.3^a	20.9 ± 2.0^a	21.3 ± 1.6^a	21.8 ± 0.8^a
PH gain (%)	329.3 ± 40.9^b	338.7 ± 26.0^ab	382.7 ± 17.4^ab	394.4 ± 27.4^a	382.1 ± 13.1^ab	393.3 ± 29.0^a	397.9 ± 12.3^a	403.2 ± 26.0^a
Initial CC (mg cm^–2)	9.3 ± 0.9	9.5 ± 0.1	9.5 ± 0.7	9.8 ± 0.7	9.8 ± 0.2	9.9 ± 0.3	9.8 ± 0.4	9.9 ± 0.3
Final CC (mg cm^–2)	19.8 ± 1.4^a	20.2 ± 0.4^a	20.8 ± 1.3^a	20.6 ± 1.5^a	25.5 ± 1.8^a	25.2 ± 1.5^a	26.1 ± 2.9^a	25.6 ± 2.5^a
CC gain (mg cm^–2)	10.5 ± 0.4^a	10.7 ± 0.3^a	11.3 ± 0.7^a	11.8 ± 1.2^a	15.6 ± 1.6^a	15.3 ± 1.2^a	16.3 ± 2.6^a	17.3 ± 1.1^a
CC gain (%)	115.4 ± 8.1^a	112.2 ± 2.5^a	119.8 ± 4.6^a	123.9 ± 22.0^a	158.5 ± 13.2^a	154.5 ± 8.6	164.8 ± 21.1^a	175.0 ± 15.8^a
Initial FW (g/unit culture)	70.5 ± 3.4	74.4 ± 5.2	71.2 ± 2.0	72.4 ± 3.5	73.1 ± 1.6	73.0 ± 4.7	73.2 ± 1.9	73.8 ± 3.8
Final FW (g/unit culture)	429.0 ± 17.1^a	444.2 ± 23.3^a	444.3 ± 16.6^a	442.2 ± 15.4^a	464.3 ± 5.4^a	465.5 ± 26.1^a	468.9 ± 19.1^a	466.5 ± 24.9^a
FW gain (g/unit culture)	358.5 ± 13.8^a	369.8 ± 19.7^a	373.1 ± 15.1^a	369.7 ± 12.1^a	391.2 ± 4.1^a	392.5 ± 21.5^a	395.7 ± 17.2^a	392.7 ± 21.1^a
FW gain (%)	509.2 ± 5.5^a	500.2 ± 28.6^a	524.0 ± 15.9^a	511.3 ± 10.4^a	535.2 ± 7.8^a	538.3 ± 9.0^a	540.1 ± 10.2^a	532.2 ± 1.6^a
Yield (g m^–2)	286.0 ± 11.4^a	296.1 ± 15.1^a	296.2 ± 11.0^a	294.8 ± 10.3^a	309.5 ± 3.6^a	310.4 ± 17.4^a	312.6 ± 12.7^a	311.0 ± 16.6^a

Mean ± SE within the same row and growth cycle with different superscripts are significantly different at p < 0.05.
LA, leaf area; LN, leaf number; PH, plant height; CC, chlorophyll content; FW, fresh weight.