Effect of saline irrigation water, gibberellic acid (GA3)‎ and biofertilizers on growth, flowers yield and oil production of matricaria chamomilla, l. plants

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of salinity, gibberellic acid (GA3) and biofertilizers on growth, flowering and oil yield of Matricaria chamomilla, L.

var.

" German chamomile " plants.

The experiment was designed as a split-split plot design in three replicates.

The main plot represented different concentrations of saline irrigation water ( tap water, 3 and 6 dSm-1 ).

The sub-plot was gibberellic acid (GA3) as foliar application at four levels 0.0, 100 and 200 mg L-1.

The sub sub-plot represented bio-fertilizers [nitrobine + phosphorein 1: 1 w/w] at rates of 0.0, 5.0 and 10.0 g/ plant.

The best treatment due to these combination was resulted from irrigation plants with fresh or moderate saline water at EC 3 dSm-1 combined with spraying with all levels of GA3 combined with biofertilizer application at 5.0 and 10.0 g/ plant on growth and flowering characteristics.

Maximum oil percentage resulted from irrigation with saline water and application the highest levels of GA3 and biofertilizer.

Combination of fresh water, 200 mg L-1 GA3 and 10 g nitrobein + 10 g phosporein per pot produced the maximum essential oil yield /plant.