Distinct type cultivar of Ocimum basilicum"CIM-SAUMYA"

Indian basil, Ocimum basilicum, belongs to the family of Lamiaceae. The essential oil of Indian basil extracted via hydro or steam distillation from the leaves or whole plants is used to flavor foods, dental and oral products, in fragrances, and in traditional rituals and medicines. Extracted essential oil has also been shown to contain biologically active constituents that are insecticidal, nematicidal, fungistatic or which have antimicrobial properties. The present invention relates to the development of an early, short duration, dwarf, high essential oil, methy chavicol and linalool yielding variety of Indian basil (Ocimum basilicum). Family-Lamiaceae) named as 'CIM-SAUMYA'. This new variety of Indian basil was developed through open pollination in the germplasm followed by half-sib progeny selection and evaluation for the yield characters of selected population for 3 years in field conditions. The new cultivar possesses better growth and vegetative growth and is able to produce higher herbage, oil and better combination of methyl chavicol and linalool yield per unit area as compared to other control genotypes.