Adaptation of Matricaria chamomilla on Greek Soils. N

Adaptation of Matricaria chamomilla on Greek Soils. N. Chouliaras (1), D. Tassiopoulos (2), and E. Vogiatzi (2) (1) TEI of Larissa Greece, Laboratory of Soil Science (2) TEI of Larissa Greece, Laboratory of Medicinal Plants

Summary From different sites of Greece, 23 soil samples and plants of Matricaria chamomilla have been taken in order to be studied as it concerns the soil properties and the plant elementary composition. The study showed that the plants prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soils, rich in organic matter and nitrogen but free of salts. The soils studied had low contents in available forms of P, K and Fe. The plant tissue composition (air-dried stems, leaves and flowers) showed a low content in N, P, K but high amounts of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu have been found.

Introduction The plants of Matricaria chamomilla are found everywhere in Greece but farming exploitation of that medicinal plant is actually unimportant in Greece. Furthermore, few data are disposed about mineral nutrition of that plant (Meawad et al., 1984). The study of the adaptation of those plants in the natural soil condition in Greece as well as their reciprocal mineral nutrition should dispose with interesting data for an eventual farming exploitation of that plant.

Materials and Methods During May and June of 1998 -1999, from different sites of Greece where plants of camomile were found well installed, 23 soil samples and plants of Matricaria chamomilla have been taken with a 15cm soil depth. Soil samples either plant tissues were air-dried. Air dried soil samples were passed through a 2 mm sieve and the following analyses were applied:  Soil texture  Content in organic matter by chemical oxidation (K2Cr2O7)  pH (in soil paste made in ratio 1soil:5H2O)  Carbonate content (by soil reaction with HCl, 1:1)  Salinity (electrical conductivity of the ratio 1soil:5H2O extract)  Total Nitrogen (after soil samples digestion, Kjeldahl method)  P- available (extractable by NaHCO3, 0,5 M in spectrophotometer)  K-available (exchangeable forms extractable by CH3COONH4, 1 M in flame photometer)

 Available forms of micronutrients Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu (extractable by DTPA and measured in atomic absorption) Air-dried plants were analyzed in order to determine the elementary composition of stems +leaves (in common) and of flowers (separately) as follows: All tissues were mineralized by liquid digestion (perchlorate) and in the filtrate were applied the next analyses:  P (spectrometer), K (flame photometer), Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu (atomic absorption).  In separate air-dried tissue-samples, N content was determined (after digestion, in according to Kelhdahl method).  All analyses were made in triplicate, all these procedures are referred by AGCD, 1992.

Results and Conclusions The obtained results allow us to appreciate the general properties of the Greek soils where Matricaria chamomilla plants are adapted, as well as the general elementary composition of these plants.  Soil properties The soil properties evaluation shows that Matricaria chamomilla prefers light soils (fig-1), neutral to slightly alkaline soils (fig-2), rich in organic matter (fig-4) and nitrogen (fig-6) but free of salts (fig-5). The soils studied had low contents in available forms of P, K (fig-7, 8) and Fe (table-1). (The evaluations of soil analyses are referred by Ctifl:1989, Loué :1986).  Plant tissue composition The plant tissue composition (stems +leaves and flowers) showed a low content in N, P, K (table-2) but high amounts of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu have been found. (The evaluation of plant tissue composition is referred by Scaife and Turner, 1994).

% relative repartition

Figure 1: The texture of studied soils

2

100 80 60 40 20 0 light soils

heavy soils


Figure 2: The soil pH

60 40 20 0 6,24 - 6,58

6,58 - 7,54

7,54 - 8,50

pH

Figure 4 : Cont ent of organic mat t er % 80


70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1,1 - 1,6

1,6 - 4,8

> 4,8

3


` Figure 6: Nitrogen content ( μg N/ g) 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1.000 - 2.000

> 2.000


Figure 7: P-available ( Olsen, μgP/ g) 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 1,0 - 16

4

> 16

% κατανομή των κλάσεων

Figure 8: Exchangeable K ( μg K/ g)

51,5 51 50,5 50 49,5 49 48,5 48 52- 160

> 160

Table 1: Mean value in available forms of soil micronutrients extractable by DTPA (μg/g) Fe M 2.5

Zn M 3.6

s 2.1

Mn M 46

s 5.9

Cu M 1.9

s 32

s 1.5

M= mean value, s =standard deviation, 23 samples, 3 repetitions

Table 2: Mean value of tissue dry matter composition (g/kg)

Leaves + stems flowers

Ν M

s

Ρ M

21.1

10

0..5

0. 2

2.4

0. 7

0.6

30.4

8. 7

1.1

0. 8

2.7

0. 4

0.5

s

Κ M

s

Fe M

Zn M

0. 2

0. 1

s

s

Mn M s

Cu M

s

0.06

0.05

0.06

0.03

0.02

0.004

0.08

0.04

0.06

0.03

0.03

0.01

M= mean value, s =standard deviation, 23 samples , 3 repetitions Conclusions: The study showed that the plants prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soils, rich in organic matter and nitrogen but free of salts. The soils had also low contents in available forms of P, K and Fe. REFERENCES AGCD: 1992. Manuel de Laboratoire de Pédologie. Administration Générale de la Coopération au Développement, Bruxelles, 265p. Ctifl: 1989. Mémento fertilisation des cultures légumières. Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des fruits et Légumes. 32 rue Bergère, Paris, 398 p.

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Loué A: 1986. Les Oligoéléments en Agriculture. SCPA, Agri Nathan, 339 p. Meawad, A.A., A.E. Awad and A. Afify: 1984. The Combined Effect of NFertilization and some Growth Regulators on Chamomile Plants. Acta Horticulturae 144, 123- 134. Scaife A., and M Turner: 1983. Diagnosis of mineral disorders in Plants. Vol:2, Vegetables, HMSO, 95 p.

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