Evaluation of a rotational indoor farming system: Basil agronomic performance, resource efficiency and postharvest quality

Indoor vertical farming aims to optimize productivity and plant quality. We therefore compared a rotative (ROT) cultivation system, designed to improve light and airflow homogeneity but potentially inducing mechanical stress and altered gravity perception, with a horizontal indoor system (CT) as control, to assess their effects on plant growth, morphology and quality in basil ( Ocimum basilicum L. var. Prospera ). Plants were grown for 21 days and then stored for 7 days at 12 °C in darkness. Morphological, biochemical, metabolic, and volatile traits were assessed at harvest (D0) and after storage (D7). Histological analysis of leaves was performed at harvest. ROT cultivation increased fresh and dry yields by 20% and 19%, respectively, and improved light- and water-use efficiency (LUE and WUE) by up to ∼20%, compared to CT. Canopy uniformity was lower in ROT, with bigger individuals emerging. Histology at harvest revealed minor anatomical differences in leaves lacunar parenchyma. ROT leaves showed a ∼2.4-fold lower ascorbic acid content than CT at both time points, whereas (total phenolic content) TPC was lower at harvest but increased significantly during storage. Volatile profiling revealed minor compounds differences between CT and ROT at harvest. Both aromatic and metabolic compositions were influenced more by storage time than by cultivation system, as postharvest evolution drove stronger differentiation. In summary, the ROT system enhanced biomass and resource-use efficiency at the expense of vitamin C, while not affecting postharvest performance. These results position rotational cultivation as a promising indoor farming strategy, although further work is needed to clarify and manage potential quality trade-offs.