Effects of biofertilizers on quantitative and qualitative yield of chamomile (Matricaria recutita) as a medicinal plant

Document Type : Research Article

Abstract

Fertilizer management is one of the most important factors in successful cultivation of medicinal plants. Fertilizers can affect the quality and quantity of plant indexes. Chamomile is one of the oldest medicinal plants that have been using by human since ancient time. In order to study the effect of biofertilizers on quantity and quality yield of Chamomile, an experiment was conducted at Research Station, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, in year 2008. A complete randomize block design with three replications was used. The treatments were: nitroxin biofertilizer, phosphate suloblizing bacteria and nitroxin biofertilizer + phosphate suloblizing bacteria. Result showed that these treatments had significant effects on main shoot, number of flower per plant, diameter of flower, fresh flower yield, dry flower yield, seed yield, essential oil and kamauzolen yield. The Highest fresh and dry flower yield was observed in nitroxin and phosphate suloblizing bacteria. The Highest essential oil and kamauzolen yield per hectare were obtained in phosphate suloblizing bacteria (8600g) and nitroxin (923g) treatments, respectively. Moreover, the lowest fresh and dry flower yield, essential oil and kamauzolen yield per hectare related to the nitroxin biofertilizer +
phosphate suloblizig bacteria treatment. It seems that biofertilizers can consider as a replacement for chemical fertilizers in chamomile medicinal plant production.

20.1001.1.20081472.1388.7.1.13.1

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