Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan

Abstract

Introduction: The German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is an annual herb from the Asteraceae family. This plant has many medicinal uses. Chamazulene, α-bisabolone oxide A and b-farnesene are part of essential oil components of German chamomile. Chamomile causes the chamomile essential oil to turn blue color. Chamazulene is the most important part of chamomile essential oil. Chamazulene has many therapeutic properties, including lowering total cholesterol and triglycerides and generally having a high anti-concentration effect of lipoprotein (Hyperlipidemia) in the blood. Most plants are more vulnerable in the early stages of growth. Within a region with adverse climatic conditions, microclimate can make more survival possible for the plants. In very warm and dry areas, in furrow sowing condition, seeds sowing in the bed of furrow in the different geographical orientations causes the formation of microclimates, especially in short plants and at the germination and seedling stages. For example, salt accumulation on the ridge and reducing soil salt in the bed of furrowimprove growth conditionsand on the other hand, shading the ridge on the furrow, by reducing the time of sunlight shining on the furrow bed reduces soil temperature and evapotranspiration in early stages of seedling growth. The geographical orientations of the sowing can affect the shading period time of the ridgeon bedfurrow.
Materials and Methods: Under low irrigation and saline-sodic soil condition (At a depth of 0 to 30 cm, with an average electrical conductivity of 7.7 dS.m-1, pH 7.7, silty clay soil texture, 1% organic matter and with an altitude of 22 meters above sea level), a field experiment conducted in a factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in Khuzestan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (North East of Ahvaz, 2016-2017). The experimental treatments were included the geographical orientations of sowing rows (control (nonlinear flat sowing) and orientations of sowing rows in the North-South, East-West, North East-South West, North West-South East) and chamomile landraces (Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Shiraz).The traits that were studied included: plant height, diameter of main stem, light extinction coefficient, capitule diameter, dry weight of 10 inflorescences, number of flowers per plant, number of stems per plant, dry inflorescence yield, essential oil percentage, essential oil yield, biological yield, percentage of chamazulene, α-Bisabolone oxide A and b-Farnesene in essential oil .
Results and Discussion: Experimental factors had no significant effect on dry weight of 10 inflorescences and capitule diameter. The lowest light extinction coefficient was observed in nonlinear flat sowing. The landraces had no significant effect on main stem diameter but the effect of geographical orientations of sowing rows were significant. The lowest and highest diameter of main stem were obtained from nonlinear flat sowing, respectively. The main effect of geographical orientations of sowing rows and interaction of populations and geographical orientations of sowing rows on number of stems per plant were significant. The highest number of stems per plant (15.2) was obtained from Shiraz landrace and northwest-southeast geographical orientation but the lowest number of stems per plant was in Shiraz landrace and nonlinear flat sowing (8.7). In both the highest and the lowest number of stems per plant, the landrace of Shiraz was common, this indicates a high effect of geographical orientations of sowing rows on this trait. The highest and the lowest of number of flowers per plant was observed in Isfahan landrace in north-south orientation (78.5) and Shiraz landrace and nonlinear flat sowing (49.5), respectively. The highest number of flowers per plant, dry inflorescence yield, and the highest biological yield were obtained from Isfahan landrace in the north-south, north-south and north west-south east orientations, respectively. The highest essential oil percentage was obtained from the Isfahan landrace (East-West orientation). The lowest and highest yield of essential oil was observed in Isfahan landrace and in nonlinear flat sowing and east-west direction, respectively, which increased by 221%. Isfahan landrace received different signals due to different climatic conditions (Ahwaz) compared to the main region (Isfahan) and this increased the percentage and yield of essential oil even more than native landrace (Ahwaz population). The highest percentage of chamazulene, b-Farnesene, and α-bisabolone oxide were shown in the Ahwaz (north-south), Shiraz (south west-north east) and Isfahan (north to south) landraces, respectively.
Conclusion: Isfahan non-native landrace had higher biological yield (northwest-southeast orientation) and essential oil percentage (east-west orientation) and essential oil yield (east-west orientation) than Shiraz and Ahwaz native landraces. Generally, row sowing in the furrow and in a suitable geographical orientation can be a low-cost method to increase crop productivity.
 

Keywords

1-       Abdali Mashhadi A.R., Nabi Pour M., and Bakhshandeh A.M. 2009.  Study of effects topping on qualitative and quantitative of Silymarin in native populations of Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.). Journal of Crop Production 2:1-14. (In Persian with English abstract)
2-       Abdali Mashhadi A., Moradi Majd M., Bakhshandeh A., and Koochekzadeh A. 2017. Effect of sulfuric acid and biofertilizers on camazulene, essential oil content and quantitative characteristics of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.). Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science 48(3): 855-864. (In Persian with English abstract)
3-       Acimovic M., Stankovic J., Cvetkovic M., Kiprovski B., and Todosijevic M. 2018. Essential oil ouality of tetraploid chamomile cultivars grown in Serbia. Journal of Essential OilBearing Plants 21(1): 15-22.
4-       Adams R.P. 2004. Identification of essential oil component by gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectroscopy. Allured Publishing Corporation. Illinois, U.S.A.
5-       Adams R.P. 2001. Identification of essential oil components by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Allured Publishing Corporation. Carol Stream.
6-       Ahmadi H., Rahimmalek M., and Zeinali H. 2014. Assessment of the genetic variation of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) populations using phytochemical, morphological and ISSR markers. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 54(1): 190–197.
7-       Ahmadian A., Ghanbari A., Siahsar B., Haydari M., and Ramroodi M., and Mousavinik S.M. 2011. Study of Chamomile's yield and its components under drought stress and organic and inorganic fertilizer using and their residue. Journal of Microbiology and Antimicrobials 3(2): 23-28.
8-       Andalibi B., Zehtab Salmasi S., Ghassemi Gholezani K., and Saba J. 2011. Changes in essential oil yield and composition at different parts of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) under limited irrigation conditions. Journal of Agricultural Science 21(2):11–22. (In Persian with English abstract)
9-       Corwin D.L., and Lesch S.M. 2005. Characterizing soil spatial variability with apparent soil electrical conductivity I. Survey protocols. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 46: 103–133.
10-   Dadkhah A.R. 2010. Effect of salt stress on growth and essential oil of Matricaria chamomilla. Research Journal of Biological Sciences 5(10): 643-646.
11-   Dhingra K.K., Dhillon M.S., Grewal D.S., and Sharma K. 1986. Effect of row orientation on growth, yield and yield attributes of wheat sown on three dates. The Journal of Agricultural Science 107(2): 343-346.
12-   Ghasemi M., Babaeian Jelodar N., Modarresi M., Bagheri N., and Jamali A. 2016. Increase of Chamazulene and α-Bisabolol contents of the essential oil of german chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) using salicylic acid treatments under normal and heat stress conditions. Foods 5(3): 1-14.
13-   Jamshidi K. 2000. Effects of row spacing and plant density on quantitative aspects of chamomile flower (Matricaria chamomilla). Iranian Journal of Agriculture Science 31(1): 203-210. (In Persian with English abstract)
14-   Kovats, V.E. 1958. Gas‐chromatographische charakterisierung organischer Verbindungen. Teil 1: Retentionsindices aliphatischer Halogenide, Alkohole, Aldehyde und Ketone. Helvetica Chimica Acta. 41(7): 1915-1932.
15-   Malekian M., Hemmati K., Ghasemnezhad A., and Barzali M. 2014. Effect of salicylic acid on quantitative and qualitative traits of German chamomile ecotypes.Journal of Crops Improvement 16(1): 185-196. (In Persian with English abstract)
16-   Mavandi P., Assareh M.H., Dehshiri A., Rezadoost H., and Abdossi V. 2019.  Flower biomass, essential oil production and chemotype identification of some Iranian Matricaria chamomilla Var. recutita (L.) accessions and commercial varieties. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants 22(5): 1228-1240.
17-   Mehdikhani H., Zeinali H., Solouki M., and Imamjomeh A. 2015. Investigation of agronomic traits and their relationships in German chamomile landraces (Matricaria chamomilla L.). Agronomy Journal (Pajouhesh & Sazandegi) 27(104): 81-90. (In Persian with English abstract)
18-   Mirshekari B., Darbandi S., and Ejlali L. 2007. Effect of irrigation intervals, nitrogen rate and nitrogen splitting on essence of German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.). Iranian Journal of Crop Sciences 9(2): 142-156. (In Persian with English abstract)
19-   Montgomery M.E., and Nault L.R. 1977. Comparative response of aphids to the alarm pheromone (E)‐β‐farnesene. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 22: 236-242.
20-   Mutsaers H.J.W. 1980. The effect of row orientation, date and latitude on light absorption by row crops. The Journal of Agricultural Science 95: 381-386.
21-   Naser Alavi S.M., and Shamsaddin saeid M. 2008. Effects of plant densities and row orientation on the seed and forage yield of grass sorghum in Bam. Journal of Water and Soil Science 12(45): 91-97. (In Persian with English abstract)
22-   Nasiri M., Alizadeh S., Barari D., and Nasiri S. 2008. Study on the effect of planting directions (North-South and East-West) with transplanter machine on yield and yield components of different rice cultivars. Agronomy Journal (Pajouhesh & Sazandegi) 78: 118-124. (In Persian with English abstract)
23-   Nassiri S.M., Sepaskhah A.R., and Maharlooei M.M. 2016. The effect of planting methods on maize growth and yield at different irrigation regimes. Iran Agricultural Research 35(1): 27-32.
24-   Niknejad M., Lebaschy H., Jaimand K., and Hatami F. 2013. Effect of organic and chemical fertilizers on essential oil of Matricaria chamomilla L. Iranian Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 29(2): 373-386. (In Persian with English abstract)
25-   Omidbaigi R., and Nobakht A. 2001. Nitrogen fertilizer affecting growth, seed yield and active substances of Milkthistle. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 4(11): 1345-1349.
26-   Orav A., Raal A., and Arak E. 2010. Content and composition of the essential oil of Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert from some European countries. Natural Product Research 24(1): 48-55.
27-   Piri E., Mahmoodi Sourestani M., Khaleghi E., Mottaghipisheh J., Zomborszki Z.P., Hohmann J., and Csupor D. 2019. Chemo-Diversity and antiradical potential of twelve Matricaria chamomilla L. populations from Iran: proof of ecological effects. Molecules 24(7): 1-14.
28-   Romeilah R.M. 2009. Anticancer and antioxidant activities of Matricaria chamomilla L. and Marjorana hortensis essential oils. Research Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences 4(2): 332-339.
29-   Siadat S.A., and Direkvand-Moghadam F. 2016.  The study of essential oil composition of Matricaria chamomilla in Khouzestan. Advanced Herbal Medicine 2(2): 1-5.
30-   Singh S., Sandhu S.K., Dhaliwal L.K., and Singh I. 2012. Effect of planting geometry on microclimate, growth and yield of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.). Journal of Agricultural Physics 12(1): 70-73.
31-   Xu Y., Wang Q., Bao W., and Pa B. 2019. Antihyperlipidemic effect, identification and isolation of the lipophilic components from Artemisia integrifolia. Molecules 24(4): 725.
32-   Yang F., Fan Y., Wu X., Cheng X., Liu Q., Feng L., Chen J., Wang Z., Wang X., Yong T., Liu W., Liu J., Du J., Shu K., and Yang W. 2018. Auxin-to-gibberellin ratio as a signal for light intensity and quality in regulating soybean growth and matter partitioning. Frontiers in Plant Science 9: 56.
CAPTCHA Image