Assessing Growth Performance and Agrometeorological Indices of <i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> L. Governed by Growing Season Length and Salicylic Acid in the Western Himalaya
2025
Shalika Rathore | Rakesh Kumar
German chamomile (<i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> L.) is a suitable medicinal and aromatic crop to cultivate in diverse regions, but its relationship with weather is a major concern in evaluating the development and crop production in the Western Himalayan region. Thus, a field experiment was executed for two years (2018–2019 and 2019–2020) at CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India, to evaluate the crop weather relationship studies and different phenological phases of German chamomile under acidic soil conditions of mid hills of Western Himalaya. Agrometeorological indices were worked out for four different sowing times from 20 November to 20 January with foliar application of elicitor, i.e., salicylic acid at three levels (viz., SA0: 0 mg/L, SA1: 25 mg/L, SA2: 50 mg/L). The results revealed that the number of days required for attaining each phenological stage decreased with a delay in sowing time. Higher growing degree days (GDDs), photothermal units (PTUs) and heliothermal units (HTUs) were accumulated for early sowing of 20 November and showed a gradual decrease with delayed sowing. Salicylic acid application produced a significant effect on the accumulation of agrometeorological indices, irrespective of the applied doses, and showed irregularity. Higher accumulation of GDDs, PTUs, and HTUs is associated with higher flower and essential oil yield; thus, the results showed that agrometeorological indices are associated with the production of German chamomile.
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