MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, ESSENTIAL OIL, CHAMAZULENE PERCENTAGE AND ANTI OXIDATION ENZYMES ACTIVITY CHANGES OF CHAMOMILE (MATRICARIA RECUTITA L. UNDER THE SOIL AND WATER SALINITY
Salinity is one of the common and major stresses in the world that decreases agricultural productivity in vast areas. The aims and objectives of the present study aretoevaluate the effects of salinity on agronomical and morphological characteristics, essential oil and Chamazulene percentage, and also its effect on anti oxidant enzymes of chamomile. This study was carried out as a completely randomized design with three replications in a greenhouse of Department of Biology, Shahed University of Tehran between 2009 and 2010. Water and soil salinity treatments were non saline as the control, and 3.5, 6.5, 9.5 and 12.5 ds/m.Data collected from the experiment were analyzed by SAS software and the mean of treatments were compared based on the least significant difference (LSD) (P<=0.05).According to the results of variance analysis, there were significant differences (P<=0.01) among the various levels of salinity as far as the germination rate,mean of germination time,root length, dry weight of flowers,chamazulene percentage,nutrients uptake and peroxidase activity were concerned. The result of the study showed that water and soil salinity significantly affected plant height, essential oil percentage and Superoxide dismutase activity (P<=0.05).Salinity had a direct effect on yield, essential oil and Chamazolene percentage, and activity of antioxidant enzymes of chamomile.Chamomile is a plant that can accumulate salt in its roots, but it cannot be considered as a halophytic plant. Salinity decreased yield components and essential oil percentage, but it increased chamazolene percentage. While those essential oils of chamomile which contain high percentage of chamazolene are considered as the high quality essential oils, it can be said that essential oils extracted from chamomile grown in the saline conditions are more valuable, industrially.This study aims to help sustainable agriculture by evaluation and modification of soil salinity.