Studies on German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) Propagation and the Effect of Light and Age on Seed Viability
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Date
2015
Authors
Kavoi, K. T.
Maina, M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum
Abstract
Chamomile (Matricaria recutica) is a herb grown for its flowers which have medicinal
properties and are used to make tea and for oil extraction. The current research was carried
out to determine the effect of light and age on germination of chamomile seeds and to
compare vegetative (use of cuttings) and seed propagation methods. In the first experiment
chamomile seeds were sown in 10 Petri dishes lined with moistened paper towel to retain
moisture. Half of the Petri dishes were covered with aluminium foil to prevent entry of light
while the rest were exposed to sunlight. In experiment 2 chamomile seeds were sown in a
nursery bed. The seedlings were transplanted to the field at 6 weeks and raised to maturity
(flower production). Cuttings were obtained from mature plants and rooted in polythene
sleeves filled with soil before transplanting into the main seedbed. Results showed that the
seeds germinated by the 4th day and light did not affect germination. Plants raised by use of
cuttings took a shorter period to flower compared to those raised from seeds. Based on the
results we recommend that chamomile seeds can be sown directly without covering with
soil and that cuttings can be used to increase the number of plants. The results of this study
will encourage farmers to adopt production of chamomile as an alternative cash crop since
the crop is relatively easy to produce. More research should be carried out on other
agronomic practices such as nutrition, weeding and water management
Description
Research Article
Keywords
chamomile, Propagation, Cutting, Seed, Light effect
Citation
Journal of Animal &Plant Sciences, 2015. Vol.24, Issue 2: 3781-3786