Evaluation of Essential Oil Yield, Morphological and Phenological Traits in Some Populations of Two Chamomile Species (Matricaria recutita and M. aurea)

Evaluation of essential oil yield, morphological and phenological traits of seven populations of two Chamomile species (Matricaria aurea and M. recutita), were carried out using Randomized Completely Blocks Design (RCBD) in three replications in Alborz research station in Karaj, Iran during 2011-2012. Data were collected for 12 morphological and phenological traits. Analysis of variance showed significance difference (P ≤%1) between populations for all of traits. Also the effect of year and year x population interaction effect were significant (P≤%1) for all of traits. Results showed Matricaria recutita hah higher values for all of traits except shoot fresh and dry weight. Mean comparison showed that two populations of Esphahan and Hamadan from Matricaria recutita and one population Gachsaran of Matricaria aurea had high shoot yield and essential oil yield than other populations. Result of simple correlation analysis showed that essential oil percentage was positively correlated with plant height, flower number, shoot dry weight and essential oil yield and negatively correlated with time of flowering and maturity date and GDD (Growth Degree Days), suggesting that early maturity plants had higher essential oil content. Results of stepwise regression analysis for essential oil content as dependant variables and other traits as independent variables showed significant effects of maturity date, flower number , plant height, canopy diameter length and flowering date in essential oil content.