Biochemical, Physiological and Yield Characteristics of Red Basil as Affected by Cultivar and Fertilization
, Marian Burducea 2, Andrei Lobiuc 2, Neculai Munteanu 1, Lorena-Diana Popa 1 and Gianluca Caruso 3Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Authors evaluated different types of fertilizers on red basil quantitative and qualitative parameters.
Title should be rearranged, indicators and fertilization pattern are not proper words.
ABSTRACT: It should be improved. Some parameters values (anthocyans) are specified and others are just mentioned. It would be better without numbers in abstract.
INTRODUCTION: Line 59. Authors mention how synthesis of bioactive compaunds are influenced by external factors as fertilization, but there are not any reference about it. Main topic of manuscript are fertilization effect so it is expected to have at least one paragraph about former studies.
MATERIALS: What about Biosolid fertilizer, can that be used in organic production as product from waste treatment. Maybe it shoul be better to rearrenge concept of manuscript regarding that.
You included microrganisams with Ch treatment, so it will be problem to divide specific effec
Where is method for leaf nitrate concentartion?
Are total content of nutrients per ha same or similar depending of fertilizer, please specifiy that.
RESULTS: As every cultivar has similar rection on different fertilizers (do not have any interaction of cultivar×fertilizer) maybe it would be better to have only one table or graph for each cultivar. Where interaction is significant, you should not put table for every factor.
Table 3. leaf dry residue- better dry matter content
If we compare biomass and bioactives concentration, can we find what is production of bioactive copmounds per plant or area.
DISCUSSION: Line 253: „Notably, the organic fertilizers (biosolids and Orgevit) showed a slower nutrient…“, Although it is known that organic fertilizer had mostly slower nmineralization, you do not have evidence for this statement or is this linked with Bergstrand et al. 2019.?
Line 273: „However, the beneficiamicroorganisms contained in Ch may have played an effective action in limiting nitrate rise,…“ what is this,
Microorganisams limit nitrate rise ?!, can you support this with some evidence. You use litlle bit acronyms, than full names, unify it.
Line 297. Sentence better for introduction.
Line 328. do not use pattern, maybe treatments.
CONCLUSION: Cultivar Op did not differ in antiox activity regarding fertilization, only Bz. Change it.
English must be improved, use scientific terms .
Author Response
Reviewer 1.
Authors evaluated different types of fertilizers on red basil quantitative and qualitative parameters.
Title should be rearranged; indicators and fertilization pattern are not proper words.
Answer: we have addressed the Reviewer’s comments.
ABSTRACT: It should be improved. Some parameters values (anthocyans) are specified and others are just mentioned. It would be better without numbers in abstract.
Answer: we added the lacking information and removed the numbers.
INTRODUCTION: Line 59. Authors mention how syntheses of bioactive compounds are influenced by external factors as fertilization, but there are not any references about it. Main topics of manuscript are fertilization effect so it is expected to have at least one paragraph about former studies.
Answer: we have added the referenced and enriched the paragraph regarding fertilization.
MATERIALS: What about Biosolid fertilizer, can that be used in organic production as product from waste treatment. Maybe it shoul be better to rearrenge concept of manuscript regarding that.
Answer: we modified the sentences which gave the impression of the main focus on organic system; indeed, we have referred to sustainable management, thus also including Biosolids.
You included microorganisms with Ch treatment, so it will be problem to divide specific effects.
Answer: we set up the protocol by also including the sole Microorganisms treatment, so as to have a comparison with the chemical fertilization enriched with the same beneficial microorganisms.
Where is method for leaf nitrate concentration?
Answer: the method used for determining leaf nitrate concentration has been added.
Are total content of nutrients per ha same or similar depending of fertilizer, please specifiy that.
Answer: we have reported the information recommended by the Reviewer, based on basil requirements and projected yield.
RESULTS: As every cultivar has similar reaction on different fertilizers (do not have any interaction of cultivar×fertilizer) maybe it would be better to have only one table or graph for each cultivar. Where interaction is significant, you should not put table for every factor.
Answer: we have removed: i) the Figures showing non-significant interactions between cultivar and fertilization; ii) the main effects relevant to the variables affected by significant interactions from the Tables.
Table 3. leaf dry residue- better dry matter content
Answer: addressed.
If we compare biomass and bioactives concentration, can we find what is production of bioactive compounds per plant or area.
Answer: we have created a new Table with the above mentioned values.
DISCUSSION: Line 253: „Notably, the organic fertilizers (biosolids and Orgevit) showed a slower nutrient…“, although it is known that organic fertilizer had mostly slower mineralization, you do not have evidence for this statement or is this linked with Bergstrand et al. 2019?
Answer: it is linked to Bergstrand et al., 2019; however, we have expanded the discussion.
Line 273: „However, the beneficial microorganisms contained in Ch may have played an effective action in limiting nitrate rise,…“ what is this,
Microorganisms limit nitrate rise?!, can you support this with some evidence. You use litlle bit acronyms, than full names, unify it.
Answer: we are sorry for having incorrectly expressed the above concept and, in this respect, we have amended the sentence.
Line 297. Sentence better for introduction.
Answer: we have moved the mentioned sentence to the Introduction section.
Line 328. do not use pattern, maybe treatments.
Answer: addressed.
CONCLUSION: Cultivar Op did not differ in antiox activity regarding fertilization, only Bz. Change it.
Answer: addressed.
English must be improved, use scientific terms.
Answer: addressed.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
73-Mention geographic coordinates
78-Can you mention in the table the light values?
106-Give the percentage of all major and minor chemical elements of all treatments.
107-mention the Basil mineral requirement
123-Describe the method that you used to determine foliar nitrate concentration.
147-For results, start to present the interaction cultivar X fertilization.
180-181-Do you think that the mineralization provide the same effect both in control and in organic and the sole beneficial microorganisms treatments?
260-262-What is the mineralization rate of each unconventional fertilized treatments?
In addition, you could develop the aspects related to the fixing of certain important nutrients (P and micro-elements) by soil parameters like texture or organic matter which can immobilize a part of the elements released through unconventional fertilized treatments mineralization.
269-Mention concretely the mineralization rates of each unconventional fertilized treatments and develop.
271-272-273- Reference
278-Mention the thresholds values recommended by the EU for leafy vegetables.
273- How the beneficial microorganisms contained in Ch may have played an effective action in limiting nitrate rise? Can you explain this processus?
Author Response
Reviewer 2
73-Mention geographic coordinates
Answer: we have mentioned the geographic coordinates as recommended by the Reviewer.
78-Can you mention in the table the light values?
Answer: we have added the light values in Table 1.
106-Give the percentage of all major and minor chemical elements of all treatments.
Answer: we have reported the requested information.
107-mention the Basil mineral requirement
Answer: we have added the basil nutrient requirements.
123-Describe the method that you used to determine foliar nitrate concentration.
Answer: addressed.
147-For results, start to present the interaction cultivar X fertilization.
Answer: as also recommended by the Reviewer 1, we have removed from the Tables the main effects relevant to the variables significantly affected by the interaction between cultivar and fertilization, showed in the Figures.
180-181-Do you think that the mineralization provide the same effect both in control and in organic and the sole beneficial microorganisms treatments?
Answer: in our opinion, the mineralization rate is not the same in the treatments applied. However, we reported the reasons why we chose the amounts of each fertilizer supplied to basil plants.
260-262-What is the mineralization rate of each unconventional fertilized treatments?
In addition, you could develop the aspects related to the fixing of certain important nutrients (P and micro-elements) by soil parameters like texture or organic matter which can immobilize a part of the elements released through unconventional fertilized treatments mineralization.
269-Mention concretely the mineralization rates of each unconventional fertilized treatments and develop.
Answer: we discussed the above mentioned topics based on the literature reports relevant both to basil and other crops.
271-272-273- Reference
Answer: addressed.
278-Mention the thresholds values recommended by the EU for leafy vegetables.
Answer: addressed.
273- How the beneficial microorganisms contained in Ch may have played an effective action in limiting nitrate rise? Can you explain this processus?
Answer: we are sorry for having incorrectly expressed the above concept and, in this respect, we have amended the sentence.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
General comments:
This manuscript addressed to organic farming and concerns the comparison of the impact of chemical and organic fertilizers as well as the addition of microorganisms on the yield, content of chlorophyll, nitrogen and phyto-pharmaceutical compounds in two varieties of red basil. The presented topic and research results are interesting but some aspects should be supplemented and improved.
Specific comments:
Section 2.1. : in this section the authors give the content of P and K in soil but what forms ?
Section 2.2.: On what basis it was assumed that the efficiency of using nutrients from organic fertilizers is higher than chemical fertilizers. In my opinion, this is not a correct statement. Also the authors themselves in the discussion section in verses 253-255, citing literature, give the opposite statement.
There is a lack of information about the chemical forms of the nutrients in mineral fertilizer.
Section 2.5.: the authors do not provide any information regarding the analysis of nitrogen content in the plant.
Section 4. In line 253-254 the authors state “the organic fertilizers (biosolids and Orgevit) showed a slower nutrient release through mineralization and, accordingly, a smaller effect on plant growth and biomass accumulation compared with chemical fertilization”. In the present experiment 70 kg N, P2O5, K2O per ha, were used in chemical fertilizers and only 48.3 kg N; 24.3 kg P2O5 and 5.1 kg K2O per ha in Biosolids and 48 kg N 36 kg P2O5 30 kg K2O per ha in Orgevit. In my opinion, this pattern of experience does not entitle to formulate such and similar statements in this manuscript. Therefore, the sentence in section 5: “Fresh and dry yield of both red basil cultivars ‘Opal’ and ‘De Buzau’ were positively affected by all the fertilization patterns applied in comparison with the unfertilized control, though the highest increase was achieved under the chemical treatments which may have elicited the highest chlorophyll synthesis” should be revised.
Section 6. References no 20, 37,54 should be revised to conform to Agriculture reference style.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Reviewer 3
This manuscript addressed to organic farming and concerns the comparison of the impact of chemical and organic fertilizers as well as the addition of microorganisms on the yield, content of chlorophyll, nitrogen and phyto-pharmaceutical compounds in two varieties of red basil. The presented topic and research results are interesting but some aspects should be supplemented and improved.
Specific comments:
Section 2.1. : in this section the authors give the content of P and K in soil but what forms ?
Answer: we added the information recommended by the Reviewer.
Section 2.2.: On what basis it was assumed that the efficiency of using nutrients from organic fertilizers is higher than chemical fertilizers. In my opinion, this is not a correct statement. Also the authors themselves in the discussion section in verses 253-255, citing literature, give the opposite statement.
Answer: we have expanded and deepened the information relevant to the above mentioned topic, also revising concepts expressed incorrectly.
There is a lack of information about the chemical forms of the nutrients in mineral fertilizer.
Answer: we have added the requested information.
Section 2.5.: the authors do not provide any information regarding the analysis of nitrogen content in the plant.
Answer: we have reported the method relevant to nitrate analysis.
Section 4. In line 253-254 the authors’ state “the organic fertilizers (biosolids and Orgevit) showed a slower nutrient release through mineralization and, accordingly, a smaller effect on plant growth and biomass accumulation compared with chemical fertilization”. In the present experiment 70 kg N, P2O5, K2O per ha, were used in chemical fertilizers and only 48.3 kg N; 24.3 kg P2O5 and 5.1 kg K2O per ha in Biosolids and 48 kg N 36 kg P2O5 30 kg K2O per ha in Orgevit. In my opinion, this pattern of experience does not entitle to formulate such and similar statements in this manuscript. Therefore, the sentence in section 5: “Fresh and dry yield of both red basil cultivars ‘Opal’ and ‘De Buzau’ were positively affected by all the fertilization patterns applied in comparison with the unfertilized control, though the highest increase was achieved under the chemical treatments which may have elicited the highest chlorophyll synthesis” should be revised.
Answer: we have revised the description and discussion of the above mentioned topic both in ‘Materials and Method’ and ‘Discussion’ sections.
Section 6. References no 20, 37,54 should be revised to conform to Agriculture reference style.
Answer: addressed.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Title: term feature is not common, please use samo others, as trait or characteristic
M&m: Nitrate determination: term dessicated is not common, use dried
Overall, English should be improved using terms common in science manuscripts dealing with agriculture and plant science.
Disscusion:please simplify a little bit this part as it is too wordy
Author Response
Dear Editor,
we have addressed the Reviewer 1 recommendations, highlighting the modifications/amendments in red colour. We wish to thank the Reviewer 1 for his beneficial contribution aimed to improve our manuscript.
Reviewer 1
Title: term feature is not common, please use some others, as trait or characteristic
Answer: we have replaced ‘features’ with ‘characteristics’.
M&m: Nitrate determination: term dessicated is not common, use dried
Answer: we have replaced ‘dessicated’ with ‘dried’.
Overall, English should be improved using terms common in science manuscripts dealing with agriculture and plant science.
Answer: we have addressed the above recommendation.
Discussion: please simplify a little bit this part as it is too wordy
Answer: we have reduced both the first paragraph and the last part of Discussion section (starting from line 324); the number of citations have also been decreased from 69 to 63.
The bibliography was rearranged and cited.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
