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Ocimum, commonly known as basil, is a group of aromatic plants extensively cultivated for their aromatic leaves, flavorful seeds, and essential oils, finding applications in food and herbal medicine. Drought stress is a crucial environmental factor that has a considerable impact on basil growth and the accumulation of bioactive compounds. This study aims to evaluate how drought stress affects biomass production and volatile oil accumulation in selected Ocimum species over two consecutive years in an open-field cultivation setting. Five distinct basil genotypes, O. basilicum L. ‘Ohře,’ O. basilicum L. ‘Genovese,’ O. × africanum Lour., O. americanum L., and O. sanctum L., were evaluated under two levels of water supply, with one group receiving irrigation as a control and the other exposed to non-irrigated conditions to induce drought stress. Consistent negative impacts of drought stress on biomass production were observed in both years. The reduction in fresh herb yield varied from 16.5 g plant⁻¹ (10.3%) for O. sanctum to 118 g plant⁻¹ (41.7%) for O. basilicum ‘Ohre.’ Across the study years, drought stress slightly increased the essential oil content of O. × africanum and O. basilicum ‘Genovese’ by 9.8% and 26%, respectively. The essential oil composition varied considerably among the different Ocimum species and cultivars. Cultivars Ohře and Genovese had linalool as a major component, exceeding 40%. O. americanum was rich in citral compounds—neral and geranial—accounting for 26–37%, which contribute to its strong lemon-like fragrance. The hybrid O. × africanum contained high proportions of 1,8-cineole (32–38%) and limonene (14–16%), while O. sanctum was characterized by its elevated levels of eugenol (36.4–50.3%) and β-caryophyllene (26.4–38.5%). The influence of water availability on essential oil content and composition was inconsistent across species. Similarly, variations were observed in total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AOC) depending on both species and growing year. Notably, the highest TPC (341.4 mg GAE g⁻¹ DM) and AOC (122.9 mg AAE g⁻¹ DM) were recorded for O. sanctum grown under drought stress during the first experimental year. In conclusion, it is recommended to irrigate the studied basil species at least twice a week under open-field conditions to minimize the negative effects of drought stress.

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a highly polyphagous pest native to South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China, which has become invasive in the Americas and Europe. H. halys has spread rapidly in invaded areas, causing crop damage and nuisance problems due to large overwintering populations. In recent years, several studies have investigated parasitoids of H. halys within its invaded regions. These studies recovered the coevolved parasitoids Trissolcus japonicus and Tr. mitsukurii in the regions. The present research surveyed parasitoids of H. halys in Hungary and cities in Southeastern Europe (Oradea, Novi Sad, and Sofia). Several native European parasitoids belonging to the families Encyrtidae, Eupelmidae, and Scelionidae were recorded parasitizing eggs of H. halys under field conditions, with the most common species being Anastatus bifasciatus . In addition to native parasitoids, Tr. japonicus and Tr. mitsukurii were recorded for the first time in Hungary and Oradea, respectively. Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between native and exotic species and to evaluate their impacts, which will help identify the optimal approach for utilizing these parasitoid species in managing H. halys .

В статье приведены данные, полученные в ходе испытаний синтетического феромонного препарата производства Всероссийского центра карантина растений (ФГБУ «ВНИИКР») для мониторинга и отлова карантинного вредного организма – коричнево-мраморного клопа Halyomorpha halys (Stål). Полевой скрининг коричнево-мраморного клопа проводили на территории двух государств, где вредитель не имеет регуляционного статуса: Республики Венгрии и Республики Абхазии. Для апробации феромонных ловушек применяли синтетическую смесь, разработанную по оптимизированному методу, который включает в себя синтез двух основных компонентов: стереоизомеров 10,11- эпокси-1-бисаболен-3-ола, где в качестве исходного реагента использовали рацемический цитронеллаль, и вещества-синергиста – метил-(E,E,Z)-2,4,6-декатриеноата. Смесь наносили на диспенсеры из бромбутилкаучука в соотношении 1 : 1 для каждого компонента, соответственно, в различных дозировках: 12, 24 и 48 мг/диспенсер. Как дополнительный вариант использовали диспенсер из целлюлозы в буфлене с 48 мг феромонного препарата. Результаты полевых испытаний показали высокую аттрактивность и видоспецифичность 24 мг феромонного препарата, наносимого на диспенсер из бромбутилкаучука, для нимф Halyomorpha halys. В то время как дозировка 48 мг, применяемая с таким же типом диспенсера, была более привлекательна для имаго. Таким образом, оптимизированный метод синтеза феромонного препарата продемонстрировал свою эффективность в отлове нимф и имаго коричнево-мраморного клопа в условиях как умеренно континентального, так и субтропического климата. Для уточнения наиболее эффективной дозировки синтетического феромонного препарата коричнево-мраморного клопа необходимо проведение дальнейших исследований.