Most likely cause is basil plate rot. The bulb will shoot up a stem but when the reserves are depleted, the bulb collapses resulting is rapid yellowing and death. When this happens to a Spring planted bulb, it usually is because there was mishandling of the bulb during the chill/freezer process. An example of non intentional mishandling would be a prolonged power outage in the middle of the chill cycle at the processor. Another would be the bulbs were not washed completely clean and put in the preconditioner while still damp with a dirty basil plate (with pathogens) before being introduced to the freezer. If it happens to a well established plant in the garden, it is usually caused by a prolonged exposure to excess water over winter or during early Spring with repeated thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze cycles.
