Effects of corm size and plant density on Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) yield and its components
Paper Details
Effects of corm size and plant density on Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) yield and its components
Abstract
In order to investigate the saffron yield and its components at different levels of corm size and plant density, an experiment was conducted at East Azerbaijan Agricultural and Natural resources Research Center, as a factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications for two years (2012-2013). First year was considered for better plant establishment. The factors consist of corm sizes based on the corm diameter in two levels (A1=2-4 cm and A2=4-6 cm), planting rows space in three levels (B1=10, B2=20 and B3=30 cm) and corm space within the row in two levels (C1=7 and C2=14 cm). Traits including plant emergence percentage, number of plants and flowers per unit area, length of rod, length of stigma, fresh and dry weight of flowers, fresh and dry weight of stigmas, total stigma yield, the onset of flowering and flowering period were evaluated on the plants. Results showed that all above mentioned traits except length of rod were significantly affected by corm size. Bigger corms showed more emergence percentage and flower fresh weight. Number of plants was significantly affected by the interaction which three factors so that maximum number of plants per unit area was observed at treatment of bigger corms with 10 (cm) corms spacing between rows and 7 (cm) corms spacing within rows. 7 (cm) corms spacing on the row created maximum flower number per unit area. Length of stigma, dry weight of flower, fresh and dry weight of stigma were significantly affected by the interaction between corm size with corms spacing within row so that bigger corms with less spacing were superior. Maximum stigma yield was obtained from the bigger corms in 7 (cm) corm space on the row and 10 (cm) corm space between rows. Flowering of bigger corms began sooner and their flowering period was more than others.
Abrishami MH. 1997. Saffron of Iran. Toss publications, p. 320.
Alavi-Shahri J, Mohajeri H, Falaki MA. 1994. Effect of plant density on saffron yield. Proceedings of the Second Conference of saffron and Medical Plants Cultivation, Gonbad, Iran 13-20.
Behdad M. 2001. Survey of plant density and cultivation methods to two forms, single and double corms, in saffron. The final report of the research project, Ministry of Agriculture, Seed and plant improvement institute, 12-20.
Behnia M. 2008. Effect of planting methods and corm density in saffron (Crocus sativus L.) yield in Damavand region. Pajouhesh and Sazandegi 79, 101-108.
Behnia MR, Mokhtari M. 2010. Effect of planting methods and corm density in saffron yield. Acta Horticulturae, 850, 131-136.
Behnia MR. 1996. Saffron: Botany, Cultivation and Production. University of Tehran Press, Iran, P. 285.
Cavusoglu A, IclalErkel E. 2005. The effect of different planting areas and corm size on yield and harvest period of saffron in Kocaeli province. University of Akdeniz, Turkey 2, 179-184.
De Juan A, Lopez-Corcholes H, Munoz RM, Picornell MR. 2009. Yield and yield components of saffron under different cropping systems. Industrial Crops and Products 30, 212-219.
De- maestro G, Ruta C. 1993. Relation between corm size and saffron flowering. Acta Horticultura 344, 512-517.
Ghalavand A, Abdollahian-Noghani M. 1994. Study ecological adaption and effect of plant density and planting method on yield of native saffron bulks of Iran. Proceedings of the Second Conference of Saffron and Medical Plants Cultivation, Gonbad, Iran 33-39.
Gresta F, Avola G, Lombardo GM, Siracusa L, Ruberto G. 2009. Analysis of flowering, stigmas yield and qualitative traits of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) as affected by environmental conditions. Scientia Horticultura 119, 320-324.
Kochaki A, Tabrizi L, Jahani M, Mohammad–Abadi AA. 2012. Evaluation of high density of corm and three planting methods on agronomic characteristics of saffron and corms behavior. Iranian Journal of Horticultural Science 4, 391-397.
Mashayekhi K, Latifi N. 1998. Effect of corm weight on saffron flowering. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 1, 97-105.
Mohamad-Abadi AA, Rezvani-Moghaddam P, Sabori A. 2007. Effect of plant distance on flower yield and qualitative and quantitative characteristics of forage production of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in Mashhad conditions. Acta Horticulturae 739, 151-153.
Molina RV, Valero M, Navarro Y, Garcia-Luice A, Guardiola JL. 2005. Low temperature storage of corms extends the flowering season of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 80, 319-326.
Mollafilabi A. 2004. Production and modern agronomic of saffron. Scientific and Industrial Research Organization of Khorasan, Mashhad, Iran 22-35.
Omidbaigi R, Betti G, Sadeghi B, Ramezani A. 2002. Influence of the bulb weight on the productivity of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) results of a cultivation study in Khorasan (Iran). Journal of Medicinal and Spice Plant 7, 38-40.
Pandy DP, Srivastava RP. 1979. A note on the effect of the size of corms on the sprouting and flowering of saffron. Progressive Horticulture 23, 89-92.
Ramazani A. 2000. Effect of corm weight on saffron yield in the region of Nishabur. M.Sc. thesis, University of Tarbiat Modarres, Iran p. 134.
Renau-Morata B, Nebauer SG, Sanchez M, Molina RV. 2012. Effect of corm size, water stress and cultivation conditions on photosynthesis and biomass partitioning during the vegetative growth of saffron. Industrial Crops and Products 39, 40-46.
Rios JL, Recio MC, Giner RM, Manez S. 1996. An update review of saffron and its active constituents. Phytother Res 10, 93-189.
Rostami M, Mohammadi H. 2013. Effect of planting date and corm density on growth and yield of saffron in climate of Malayer. Ecology of Agriculture. 1, 27-38.
Sadeghi AR. 2010. Effects of different Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) bulb sizes and plant density on the yield and factors affecting yield. Ph.D thesis, University of Ankara, Turkey, p. 79.
Sadeghi B. 1994. Effect of corm weight on saffron flowering. Scientific and Industrial Research Organization of Khorasan, Mashhad, Iran,18-26.
Saiedi-rad MH, Mokhtarian A. 2011. The scientific principles of planting of saffron. Agricultural Extension and Education Press, p. 108.
Schmidt M, Betti G, Hensel A. 2007. Saffron in phytotherapy: pharmacology and clinical uses. Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift 157, 13 – 14.
Vurdu H, Guney K, Cicek F. 2004. Biology of Crocus olivieri sub spolivieri. Acta Horticultural 650, 71-85.
Yau SK, Nimah M. 2004. Spacing effects on corm and flower production of saffron. Lebanes Science Journal 5, 13-20.
Samira Sameh Andabjadid, Bahman Pasban Eslam, Amir Reza Sadeghi Bakhtavari, Hamid Mohammadi , 2015. Effects of corm size and plant density on Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) yield and its components. Int. J. Agron. Agric. Res., 6(3), 20-26.
Copyright © 2015 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.