Effects of row distance and nitrogen fertilizer on agro-morphological traits and essential oil content of German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.)

German chamomile is an annual plant and is one of the important medicinal plants. Its flowers possess valuable active ingredients having several applications in herbal medicine. To evaluate the effect of row distance and nitrogen fertilizer on agro-morphological traits and essential oil content of chamomile, a factorial experiment was carried out based on a randomized complete block design with two factors included net nitrogen at three levels (0, 100 and 200 kg/ha from urea source) and row distances with 35, 25 and 15 cm at the Research Farm of Islamic Azad University, Khorramabad Branch in 2009. The results showed that the highest yield was obtained in 15 cm row distancewith an application of 100 kg/ha nitrogen (N). The highest dry matter (474.1 kg/ha) of flower and essential oil content (0.2%) were produced in 25 cm row distance with 100 kg/ha N. Regarding to the sustainable agriculture system in respect of reliable fertilizer use, nitrogen fertilizer (100kg/ha) along with agronomic practices like proper plant density, will lead to high production of essential oil and dry flower.