Integrated Management Of Soil Applied Organic And Inorganic Amendments To Improve Growth And Flower Quality Of Chamomile

Depression is one of the alarming psychiatric conditions all over the world which is linked with restlessness. Chamomile has antidepressant properties. Organic manures, apart from improving biological and physical properties of soil and effectiveness of chemical fertilizers also increase the secondary metabolites production as well as antioxidants levels. A trial "Integrated management of soil applied organic and inorganic amendments to improve the growth and flower quality of chamomile" was conducted at Fruit and Vegetable Nursery Harama, the Department of Agriculture Muzaffarabad in two consecutive years during 2016-2018. The trial was designed as RCB with factorial combinations. Recommended dose of commercial fertilizer: NPK at 100:50:50 kg ha(-1) was combined with organic fertilizer FYM at 20 t ha(-1) and humic acid at 5 kg ha(-1) in different doses. Results showed that a hundred flower fresh weight (4.19 g), fresh root weight (8.12 g), root length (7.86 cm), essential oil (0.17 %), fresh flower yield (1109.2 kg ha(-1)) and dry flower yield (502.21 kg ha(-1)) were received in plots receiving no treatment (control). The combination NPK at 100:50:50 + FYM at 20 t ha(-1) + HA at 5 kg ha(-1) showed maximum results for above mentioned attributes i.e. 14.9 g, 19.6 g, 18.6 cm, 0.38%, 2251.6 kg ha(-1) and 1054.7 kg ha(-1), respectively. Survival percentage was not significantly affected by treatments. Screening of phytochemicals and antioxidant activities showed maximum value for total phenolic content (8 mg g(-1) DW), total flavonoid content (554.4 mu g mg(-1) DW) and antioxidant activity (76.4%) in plants receiving NPK at 50:25:25 + FYM at 20 t + HA at 5 kg ha(-1) closely pursued by 7.82 mg g(-1) DW, 542 mu g mg(-1) DW and 70.5% in plants treated with NPK at 50:25:25 + FYM at 10 t + HA at 2.5 kg ha(-1), respectively. It is recommended that plants should be fertilized with NPK at 100: 50:50 + FYM at 20 t ha(-1) + HA at 5 kg ha(-1) for maximum growth and yield and for higher concentration of secondary metabolites and antioxidant activities plants should be grown in soil supplied with NPK at 50:25:25 + FYM at 10 t + HA at 2.5 kg ha(-1).