This study aimed to evaluate the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and production of capitula and essential oil of chamomile plants, under different growth conditions. The symbiosis between fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota and plant roots may cause changes in secondary metabolism, including the synthesis of essential oils. Increasing biomass production associated with gains in oil content promoted by mycorrhization, makes soil biota management sustainable. Two assays were carried out in a greenhouse, in plastic pots (3 L), for 150 days after emergence of the seedlings. In the first assay, plants were inoculated with soil cultivated with organic chamomile, in three levels (0, 150 and 300 g), with pH adjusted at 6.5, for evaluating the influence of the quantity of inoculum on the growth and production of plants. In the second assay (factorial design with repetition at the central point), three levels of soil pH (6.5, 7.0, 7.5) and three levels of auxin (0; 10; 20 mg L⁻¹) were tested to identify the influence of pH and auxin on the production of chamomile capitula and essential oil. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi present as spores in the soil-inoculum were composed of 22 species. In the first assay, mycorrhization favored the growth and production of capitula and such benefits tended to be higher with the increase in concentration of inoculum. In the second assay, the production of capitula and essential oil was promoted by mycorrhization, with the highest content at neutral pH (0.7 mL oil in 30 g of capitula), in synergy with the highest amount of inoculum. It was concluded that the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soil is the most influential variable in the production of capitula and essential oil of chamomile, but subtle differences on soil pH influenced these parameters. The levels of auxin did not influence significantly plant growth and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

本研究旨在评估丛枝菌根真菌在不同生长条件下对洋甘菊属植物的生长和生产的影响。球菌门真菌之间的共生植物根部可能会导致次级代谢发生变化，包括精油的合成。菌根促生的生物量增加与含油量的增加相关联，使土壤生物区系的可持续管理。幼苗出苗后，在塑料盆（3 L）的温室中进行了两次测定，持续了150天。在第一个试验中，将有机洋甘菊栽培的土壤接种到三种水平（0、150和300 g）中，pH值调整为6.5，以评估接种量对植物生长和生产的影响。在第二次测定中（在中心点重复设计的因子设计），三层土壤pH（6.5、7.0、7.5）和三层植物生长素（0; 10; 20 mg L ^-1进行了测试，以确定pH和生长素对洋甘菊和精油生产的影响。以土壤孢子的孢子形式存在的丛枝菌根真菌由22种组成。在第一种测定中，菌根有利于小头目的生长和产生，并且随着接种物浓度的增加，这种益处倾向于更高。在第二种测定中，菌根菌落促进了头皮和精油的产生，在中性pH值下含量最高（30克头皮中的0.7毫升油），并与最高接种量协同作用。可以得出结论，土壤中存在丛枝菌根真菌是洋甘菊和洋甘菊精油生产中影响最大的变量，但土壤pH的细微差异会影响这些参数。