Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae) is used commercially as flavoring or seasoning that was prepared with its green and aromatic leaves, which can be used fresh or dried. The aim of this work was to evaluate yield of biomass of basil under two or three rows per plot, intercropped or not with lettuce. Basil and lettuce were planted at field in joined experiment, which established five treatments: two rows of basil in monocrop system (M2) spaced 0.50 m; three rows of basil in monocrop system spaced 0.33 m (M3); four rows of lettuce in monocrop system spaced 0.25 m (A4); two rows of basil in monocrop system and intercropped with four rows of lettuce (M2A4) and three rows of basil intercropped with four rows of lettuce (M3A4). Used design was randomized blocks with eight replications. Lettuce plants were harvested on 48 days after transplanting and basil plants were harvested in two dates, on 96 and on 113 days after transplanting (DAT). Intercrop did not influence on foliar area neither on yields of leaves of inflorescences of basil neither on commercial or non-commercial lettuce heads. Although, regarding plant arrangement, on second harvest date, basil plants that were cultivated under two rows had the greatest foliar area (2,076.99 cm² plant-1) and the greatest fresh masses of leaves (5,012.53 kg ha-1). Considering that the values of Equivalent Area Ration in the first and the second harvest of basil were higher than 1.0. It was concluded that to intercrop basil with lettuce is viable. It is recommended the arrangement of three rows of basil alternated with four rows of lettuce, with harvested at 96 DAT, because it had EAR of 2.01.
Ocimum basilicum; Lactuca sativa; crop association
