Response of Different Irrigation on Nano Iron Chelated to Chamomile (Matricaria Chamomilla L.) Genotypes

To study the effects of drought stress and foliar application of nano iron chelated on photosynthetic pigments, yield and yield component of thirteen genotypes of chamomile, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Greenhouse of Zabol University in 2014. The experimental treatments were: drought stress at 2 levels (control or irrigation at 90% of field capacity and irrigation at 70% of field capacity), foliar application of nano iron chelate at 2 levels (control and 2 mg/l) and 13 genotypes of chamomile consisting at: Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Kerman, Arak, Ardestan, Gachsaran, Nain, Khozestan, Safashahr, Kazeroon, Germany and Hungary. The results showed that besides the main effects of stress×genotype, the genotype×nano iron chelated and stress×nano iron chelated interactions and the triple effects were also became significant. Mean comparisons showed that the condition of genotypes at any level of stress and nano iron chelated had different trends. Using nano iron chelated in drought stress decreased chlorophyll a in Shiraz, Khozestan, Nain, Hungary and Germany genotypes, decreased chlorophyll b in genotypes of Isfahan, Kazeroon, Ardestan, Khozestan, Nain and Germany, decreased total chlorophyll in genotypes of Isfahan, Shiraz, Ardestan, Khozestan, Nain, Hungary and Germany and decreased anthocyanin content in Isfahan, Shiraz, Safashahr, Kazeroon, Khozestan and Germany genotypes. Using nano iron chelated in drought stress also caused a decrease in flower yield of Mashhad, Arak and Nain and a decrease per plant yield of Isfahan, Mashhad, Arak, Safashahr, Khozestan and Nain genotypes. The highest per plant yield (0.665 g.) belonged to Kerman genotype, were achieved through non-stress and use of nano iron chelate treatments and the lowest per plant yield (0.164 g.) to Arak genotype through the stress and non-spray treatments. Totally the interaction of chamomile genotypes to drought stress were different. Among the genotypes under study the Shiraz genotype were more resistant to stress compared to others. The effects of application of nano iron chelated were different depending on the genotype and for most of the genotypes it increased the photosynthetic pigment contents and yield components of Chamomile. This shows the effectiveness of low rate application of nano iron chelate.