Effect of fertilizer treatments on growth criteria and quantitative and qualitative yield of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) as a medicinal plant

Soil fertility refers to the ability of the soil to supply essential plant nutrients and soil water in adequate amounts and proportions for suitable plant growth. Organic fertilizers are derived from animal or plant matter such as cow manure. Organic fertilizers involve a slower release rate of nutrients than conventional watersoluble fertilizers and it decreases nutrient losses and enhances nutrient-use efficiency (Gliessman, 1998). Biological fertilizers contain living cells of efficient strains of microorganisms such as Azospirillum, Azotobacter Biofertilizers enhance microbial processes in the soil which augment the extent of availability of nutrients in a form easily assimilated by plants. Bio-fertilizers can be ranked in various groups based on their function (Manoly, 2008). Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is an important medicinal plant from the family Asteraceae that is commonly used to serve various medicinal purposes. This species is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind (Baghalian et al., 2008).
In order to study the growth characteristics, flower yield and essential oil of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) as a medicinal plant affected by different fertilizer treatments, an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during the 2009-2010 growing season. An experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with four replications. Treatments were chemical fertilizer (100 kg.ha-1 urea, 60 kg.ha-1 K (K2O) and 100 kg.ha-1 P (P2O5), mycorrhiza, Nitroxin and Nitroxin mycorrhiza. K and P fertilizers added to the soil after land preparation. N was applied to the soil at three stages such as after planting time, one month after seedling emergence and before flowering stage. At planting time, 150 g soil with mycorrhiza fungi (Glomus intraradices) per plant was used under seed and seeds were inoculated with Nitroxin before planting time. Studied traits were height, flower number, flower diameter, dry weight of flower, fresh weight of flower and essential oil percentage and essential oil yield at six cuttings and total fresh and dry weights of flower and essential oil yield of chamomile. For statistical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant difference test (LSD) at a 5% probability level were performed using SAS version 9.1.
The results showed that the effect of plant height stem, number, diameter, dry yield and fresh yield of flower, essential oil yield at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th cuttings and total flower number, total fresh yield and total dry yield of flower and essential oil yield of chamomile. The maximum flower number at different cuttings was observed in mycorrhiza Nitroxin. The maximum total flower number was recorded in mycorrhiza Nitroxin with 8556.67 flowers.m-2; it was higher than chemical fertilizer, mycorrhiza and Nitroxin up to 36, 107 and 18%, respectively. The highest essential oil yield was recorded in mycorrhiza Nitroxin with 4.4 g.m-2.
The results showed that growth and yield of flower and essential oil of chamomile were significantly affected by fertilizer treatments. So, it seems that the integrated application of mycorrhiza Nitroxin could be considered for growth and yield enhancement of this valuable medicinal plant based on sustainable agriculture.